


Decisions

by Mei1395



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-10-07 22:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10371276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mei1395/pseuds/Mei1395
Summary: When Hiccup was thirteen, a certain Stormcutter make a decision that changes the lives of him and everyone else on Berk. Now it's up to him to make a choice. Will he turn his back on everything he knew and embrace a new future, or will he face his past?





	1. The Haddocks

Screeches of hundreds of dragons filled the halls of the icy sanctuary of the great Bewilderbeast as many different kinds lived and interacted peacefully with each other. A lone human stood on the edge of one of the higher cliffs, overlooking the liveliness of the nest, her loyal companion right behind her, as always.

Valka, as the woman was called, sported a frown on her face, as she looked at a small group of Scuttleclaw hatchlings play. Usually, such a sight would bring a smile to her face and lift her spirit when she felt down, but today was different. The vigilante, as dragon trappers have come to call her, was lost in memories of old times. Of her life on Berk, her friends, her husband. She often wondered how he was doing. Berk was probably still suffering from dragon raids. Valka knew there was a nest in Helheims Gate - even when she still lived on Berk Stoick would often leave to find the nest only to come empty handed and with less ships than before.

But her husband wasn't the only person who regularly crossed her mind. Her only son, Hiccup, was constantly in her thoughts. How was he doing. Hiccup was always such a wee baby. When he was born early, she feared he wouldn't make it past the winter. The healers, too, predicted that he wouldn't survive. But they wanted her to abandon her son, cast him off to the sea. Valka, of course, refused. She wanted to give him a chance. And in the end, he made it. He survived the winter.

Though, she wondered who he had taken after. Probably his father. Every time she thought about how he would look like by now, it was the image of a sturdy young boy, with muscled arms, holding the severed head of a dragon in one hand and a bloody sword in the other. She missed him dearly, though, and would love to go see him. But Valka knew that she couldn't go back to that place. Her own actions almost led to his death, how could she come back?

It didn't help that the last time she was on Berk was thirteen years ago, when Cloudjumper took her away from there. Hiccup would probably hate her for choosing to live with the dragons of the sanctuary instead of him. Also, Stoick probably remarried and gave Hiccup a mother figure. It still pained her greatly to stay away. Also, if she ever saw her son again, what would she say? Or do?

It would, undoubtly, be an awkward meeting.

But there were other reasons of why she stayed away. The threat of Drago Bludvist and his growing dragon army was too great to ignore. Valka managed to rescue many of the captured dragons, but she was still only one person against a whole army. And as long as that madman lived, leaving was out of question.

She sighed sadly as she trekked down the path to the cave she called home for thirteen years. It was getting late and she really needed some rest after a whole day of flying around and finding dragon after dragon in distress. It seemed that Drago was getting more active lately.

A questioning growl from behind pulled her out of her thoughts as her Stormcutter demanded for her attention. He must have noticed something was wrong with his rider because when she turned around, he butted her lightly in an effort to comfort her. Valka smiled sadly as she petted his head. She never bore any ill will against him for taking her.

"I'm alright. I just need some sleep and tomorrow we can fly around all day if you like."

Cloudjumper gave her an unimpressed look, but let it go and nudged her into the cave. He walked over to their usual sleeping spot and lay down. Valka joined him not long after. He felt her lean against him and breath out heavily.

"I apologize for making you worry. I just miss my boy, you know? He was, after all the smallest baby on the island."

The dragon made another questioning croon and looked out of the cave, gesturing to the outside. Valka petted his neck and shook her head.

"I can't go back. You know that. Oh, don't give me that look, you know it's true."

Her companion huffed and curled around her to comfort and protect her from the cold. His human was sad, after all, because she missed her hatchling. Maybe he should have taken it with them. If her mate hadn't shown up, he probably would have. But he was also confused. His rider refused to go back even though she could go and visit her hatchling and see her mate anytime.

Looking down at her, Couldjumper saw that she was asleep now, safely cuddled up against him.

Maybe... maybe he still had the chance to make her happy. He would just go back to the human nest and get her hatchling for her. Yes, that was a good idea! He would go and get her young and then his human would be happy again!

Cloudjumper, satisfied with his plan, carefully uncurled himself from his rider and silently crawled out of the cave, as not to wake her. He went to the edge of the nearest cliff and took off, out of the nest and set course to the human nest.

**0-0-0**

Meanwhile on Berk, chief Stoick the Vast watched as his son worked on a new project in the forge with concern. Ever since Hiccup could crawl, he's been different. He wasn't strong like the other children in the village and disaster seemed to strike every time his son set one foot outside.

Hiccup was smarter, though, than all the others and would sit hours on end in his little workspace in the forge and tinker on some new project that would bring more destruction than good to the village. While Stoick loved his boy more than anything, he couldn't go easy on him just because he was his son and heir to the throne of Berk. Some villagers, mostly Spitelout, have been trying to persuade him to give Snotlout the title. It was understandable.

To the village, Hiccup didn't seem to have what a chief needs. He was nothing more than a nuisance to the villagers. And even if he would be chief someday, nobody would respect him and take orders from him. Stoick clung to the belief of his son growing into the Viking the village needed him to be. No more weird inventions and no more... well... Hiccup.

But as the time flew by and Hiccup grew, the hope dwindled and grew smaller.

By now he couldn't stop the disappointment that crept into his eyes every time he saw the boy. On some nights he even caught himself wishing he wasn't Hiccups father - those thoughts disturbed him greatly. He knew that, if Hiccup didn't show some more vikingness in the future, he would be forced to deny his son his birthright. The village needed to be strong. There was no place for the weak. It pained Stoick, not just because he would practically disown his only child, but because it would also feel like betraying Valka.

That boy just looked too much like her. Even acted like her sometimes. It was clear who Hiccup took after more.

This only added another problem on the chiefs already over loaded plate. Behavior such as this led to his wife being taken and most likely eaten by those beasts. He feared that Hiccup would share the same fate. Which is why he allowed him to learn blacksmithing under Gobber, in hopes of getting him to toughen up. Blacksmithing was, after all, not easy. His hopes, however, were quickly shot down. Hiccup remained the same, coming up with even crazier ideas which were much more destructive than before.

Also, the looks his son gave him sometimes made it somewhat hard to properly talk with him. The way Hiccup always looked at him with those expressive eyes, Valka's eyes. Always filled with hope and something he couldn't quite describe... it drove him mad to look into those eyes for too long.

By now, Hiccup had finished working in the forge. Stoick watched him put out the fire and lock the door, before making his way over to their house, no doubt to get some sleep. He had to be up very early in the morning, after all. There hadn't been a dragon raid for some time now and those devils were expected to show up any time now, so the weapons had to be fixed or sharpened and new ones had to be finished by the time the attack came.

Only a few people knew who exactly made most of their weapons. Most just assumed Gobber made them all but he was just one man - and he possessed only one hand, too - and he wasn't able to keep up with all the work by himself. His friend often pointed out that it was a shame that Hiccup would be chief someday, something Gobber was convinced would be the case, because he would make a fine blacksmith. The boy had a vast knowledge of this craft and nobody could say anything bad about the things he forged since they almost never broke.

The chief sighed and walked after his son. He didn't even notice the sky turning dark in his musings. As he stood in front of his home, he steeled his expression and banished the thoughts from his mind. He would protect Hiccup and make a proper viking out of him and nothing would change his mind.

As he entered, the hearth was lit and a pot filled with a tasty smelling soup hung over it. At least he could always count on the boy to make dinner for him after a long day. Maybe he should thank him later on.

Stoick ate in silence and, after finishing some left over chores, went upstairs to get some sleep. He was about to pass his son's room when he noticed the door was ajar. He peeked inside to see Hiccup at his desk, sleeping. His head rested on his crossed arms in what must have been an uncomfortable position. He must have fallen asleep while working on another crazy invention or something.

Silently, the man went over to his sleeping son and put the fur from his bed over the narrow shoulders. It wasn't recommendable to sleep without any protection against the cold, even though the people of Berk were used to it.

He gently brushed some hair out of Hiccup's face and left the room, intending to get some rest for the night.

**0-0-0**

Hiccup wiped away the sweat from his forehead and cast a last critical look at his new invention. It was an ax thrower. It just needed to be calibrated and it should do its job right. This little thing was going to help him changing everyones opinion of him. He wasn't useless. And if he managed to kill a dragon, his father would finally be proud of him and not, like always nowadays, wear this disappointed scowl on his face whenever he looked at him.

Satisfied with his work, the boy put out the fire in the forge and locked the door, before heading home to have some dinner.

As usual, his father wasn't home, so he put some firewood in the hearth and made a small fire. While the fire grew, he cut up some vegetables and herbs and out them into a pot filled with broth, which was attached to a rod over the hearth.

Hiccup watched it cook for a bit and let his thoughts wander. He thought about his inventions and how he could improve them, how he would be accepted and loved by everyone and how they would love to have him here, alive and absolutely not useless... Then his mind turned to the darker things.

Having Snotlout and every other person his age and younger laugh at him, bullying him and treating him like dirt under their boots didn't help in making his self-confidence grow. His father never took the time to ask where all the bruises came from, not that he ever noticed them in the first place, and the rest of the village usually pretended he was air. Sometimes he wondered why he was still allowed to be here. It was obvious that the villagers wanted him gone. There were times that Hiccup thought that his father agreed with them.

Every time Stoick shouted at him in front of the village, he could hear the whispers and he would notice the accusing looks.

He was pretty good at ignoring them by now, having grown used to them over the time. But that didn't mean they weren't hurtful. Only Gobber seemed to genuinely like him. They would sometimes joke around in the forge when the workload wasn't too large and the big man would always watch over him when Stoick was gone for another nest hunt.

The next one would take place in the coming weeks. Gobber was expected to go with them, leaving Hiccup alone a month. Together with the other teens. Oh joy...

He remembered all the times his cousin and the twins would dump him somewhere, most likely tied up, telling him to go and die, and leave him there for Gobber to find. It wasn't always like this, though. He had a friend when he was younger. It was Fishlegs. But as they grew older and it showed that he would probably always be a walking fishbone, he left Hiccup to hang out with the others in fear they would make him their target instead. And any attempts to make new friends backfired horribly because the parents would always tell their children to stay away from him.

Some even told them he was cursed by the gods. He scoffed at that. And with no one to turn to (except Gobber) he stayed by himself most of the time, thinking up thing that would make life less miserable for him.

A stinging pain in his hand brought him back to reality. The soup was boiling over and some of it splashed on his hand so Hiccup hurriedly took the pot and put it down, before getting himself a bowl and taking some of the food. After finishing, he hung the pot back over the now smaller fire to keep it warm for his father and went upstairs to his room where he sat down at his desk with a charcoal pen in his hand, intend on doing something productive.

But his mind had other plans as Hiccup once again got lost in it.

Today was alright, he supposed. The bullying was kept low because most of the teens were off practicing or, in Snotlout's and the Twins' cases, making a ruckus somewhere and later blaming everything on Hiccup.

"Someday," he muttered to himself. "I'll show them. I'll prove them wrong and make them see me for who I am."

By now, his eyelids felt heavy and every time he closed his eyes, it was getting harder and harder to open them again. In the end, he rested his head on his now crossed arms and the next time his eyes closed, they didn't open again. With a goal in mind, Hiccup drifted off to sleep...

Only to be startled awake the very next moment - which could have been hours later - by a mighty roar just outside the house, followed by screams and the war horn. It didn't take very long for him to figure out what was going on.

The dragons were attacking. A raid has started.


	2. Taken

His chair fell over followed by the fur, which Hiccup just briefly wondered how it got there, as the boy rushed down the stairs and out of the house. The torches were already lit, casting long shadows in the dark night as the attacking dragons flew over them. The chaos around him didn't bother him as his feet carried him along the worn path to the forge, where he knew Gobber would be waiting with a load of broken weapons that needed to be fixed fast.

Vikings bellowed loudly as their war cries filled the air mixed with the echoes of the dragons' roars. Dragons were shot out of the sky left and right and the Vikings went flying from a particularly hard hit. Their axes, swords, hammers and other weapons were already stained with the blood of the flying reptiles. Blood, of which scent filled the air together with the ashes of burning buildings and the sweat of the Vikings.

Most ignored the small boy running passed them as they fought, but those who noticed sent him glares and ordered him to go back inside. Some even found the time to throw in some nasty comment, which were mostly ignored.

Hiccup was so absorbed in reaching the forge without getting roasted that he didn't notice a stray shot of a passing Gronkle hitting the base of the giant torch next to him. Only when the wood lost its stability with loud cracking sounds the boy noticed the burning log falling towards him.

"Hiccup!"

A body crashed into his own, shoving him away from the danger. Hiccup groand as he got back to his feet and looked at his saviour. Astrid Hofferson stood proudly right in front of him with a glare on her face that could put an angry Monstrous Nightmare to shame. The other teens were fighting the fires in the background.

"Errrm.. Thanks", he started awkwardly. That made the blonde shield maiden only angrier, as the darkening scowl on her face obviously stated.

"Watch where you're going", she snarled. "Don't do anything stupid, don't touch anything. You'll only get in the way. And get back inside!"

With that said, Astrid went back to her group to help putting out all those fires.

Hiccup frowned. The blonde shield maiden seemed really pissed off at him this time. He knew that everyone thought of him as a distraction and useless on the battlefield - Astrid was no exception - but it still hurt to hear her say that to him. An explosion somewhere ripped his focus back into the real world and he took off running again. The sound of metal meeting metal could be heard from the shop, telling him that Gobber was already there, as expected. The old blacksmith and his mentor barely noticed when his small apprentice entered the building. The pile of broken weapons was larger than usual, meaning that the raid probably was not going too well.

The auburn haired boy grabbed his apron wordlessly and went right to work, heating up the blades for Gobber to repair. While Hiccup was working, the encounter with Astrid replayed within the back of his head.

Usually, when the other teens tormented him, she simply sat at the back of the group, sharpening her axe or leaving all together. He remembered when they were still friends. She used to shout at the others when they felt the need to tease him. In fact, a few years ago, the whole group and Hiccup were friends. The teasing was lighthearted and never meant seriously.

They would play together in the woods or simply enjoy each others company. Until one day, they started to drift away. It wasn't very notable in the beginning. But when one by one the teens started to ignore him, Hiccup experienced what it meant to be lonely for the first time. Astrid was the last one to go. None of his peers ever told him why they did what they did, but as the years passed and it became more and more obvious that Hiccup wasn't like the others, he too, started to understand why.

Not that he liked it.

In fact, Hiccup hated that he was different. There were some days he wished he was like Snotloud. Not with the attitude, mind you. Simply the built would suffice. Then, at least, he could lift more than a small dagger. People would at least tolerate him.

"'iccup, man the fort", Gobber called out."I need to go out there."

The blacksmith replaced his hammer with a bludgeon and moved to leave. He stopped at the door and looked back at the small teen standing awkwardly in the shop.

"You stay put. Right. There."

And Gobber was joining the fight with a battle cry of his own before Hiccup could give his answer.

Hiccup huffed out angrily. Again he was left to watch the spectacle. How was he supposed to prove himself if nobody ever gave him the chance to actually do so? He looked to the back of the forge. His newest project, the axe launcher, was still where he left it the night before.

Maybe he could use it.

What better time was there to test it out?

Determination filled Hiccup as he promptly grabbed his launcher and rushed out into the battlefield, almost running a few villagers over - not that he actually could - and through the village. He would show them. He would show everyone that he can be useful. That he could be a Viking.

To be his father's son.

The teen readied his launcher as he saw a few dragons ahead of him, trying to get into the food storage. There a few Nadders and a nightmare. If he could just hit one of them, all his problems would be solved. Well, most of them anyway.

Hiccup aimed at the nightmare as he was the one who did most of the damage and fired.

Sadly, he didn't take the force it took to fire the axe into account and wasn't prepared to be thrown back. He quickly sat up and watched the axe fly and miss by mere centimeters.

"No!"

Hiccup swore loudly as he saw that the launcher lost its aim when the weapon was fired because of the same force that threw him to the ground. Thankfully, nobody noticed him fail once again.

Or so he thought.

A growl brought him out of his self-loathing as he remembered where he was and what he had just done. Hiccup slowly turned to face the now angry looking Monstrous Nightmare he almost decapitated.

"Of course, you noticed...," he muttered dejectedly, before taking off in the opposite direction, screaming loudly and evading the snapping jaws of one pissed off dragon. His panicked mind didn't even notice where he was running until he was far into a very deserted looking part of the village.

It seemed to be the Nightmare's plan to herd him into a certain direction. Every time Hiccup wanted to run towards the sounds of fighting Vikings where he was sure to lose it in the brawl, the dragon would spit fire at him or cut him off. He knew the dragon most likely planned to tire him out so he could devour him without any interferences so he tried his best to outwit the dragon at least for a while and prayed that someone would come to his rescue, no matter how embarrassing it was to be chewed out in front of the village once again.

He yelped as he narrowly dodged another stream of hot and deadly fire. His breath came out in short gasps and Hiccup knew he wouldn't last much longer.

**0-0-0**

Above the ongoing battle, close enough to see and smell the individual scents of the Vikings, but far enough to be out of sight, a certain Stormcutter circled the village.

Cloudjumper was on a mission and he wasn't going to leave until he got what he came for. It's been a few years since he last saw the Viking nest and he struggled to remember where the house with the little hatchling was. It was the first place he was going to look after all.

He remembered the little thing well, which also included his smell. Of course, it's been a long time and the hatchling smell might as well have faded over the time, so he just tried to sniff out a scent that was similar to his own human. When he found it, the Stormcutter followed it to the biggest human cave only to find the whole construction empty. The hatchling must have gone somewhere safe. Hatchlings were, while a nest was attacked, brought to a safer place by their mothers.

He didn't see any reason of why it would be different with humans.

Not finding what he searched for, Cloudjumper moved to follow the scent when a sharp metal object ebbed itself into the ground right in front of him. He turned and hissed at his assailant. The big Viking stood there, breathing heavily and staring at him with so much hate in his eyes. Another of those shiny things was already in his hand and brandished at him.

0-0-0

Stoick was in the middle of fighting off a Nadder when he saw it. The devil that stole his wife away so many years ago circled almost lazily above the village. At first, he froze at the sight of it. Memories of that terrible night replaying in his head again and again.

He didn't even notice the Nadder escaping with its catch. All of his attention was directed on that four-winged beast.

Then, anger filled him. How dare that devil show its ugly and scaled hide again.

'Finally,' he thought. This time, Stoick wouldn't let that thing escape. This was his chance to take revenge for his beloved Valka. He could still see the terrified expression on her face as she was carried off. It was like a nightmare. Never letting go. Always coming back.

It was too far away for him to get a clear shot at it so the Chief watched it like a hawk. It seemed to be looking for something. Its head rotated right and left and it dipped down now and then only to pull up again and do everything over again.

Stoick was never known for having patience and started to consider to just fire at it with one of the remaining catapults when the creature finally descended. He followed the path up to his house, grabbing an axe one of the warriors most likely lost in the heat of the battle on the way. The dragon's behavior confused Stoick just as much as it had thirteen years ago. It just sniffed around his house and did nothing to destroy the building. He quickly shoved the feeling away and as soon as he came into range, he threw the axe he collected.

It missed, but it did its job. The dragon's attention was drawn to him. Recognition flickered in the slitted pupils that were surrounded by a sickening yellow and Stoick knew it remembered him.

The Stormcutter hissed and growled at him but Stoick wasn't intimidated.

"You remember me, don't you? You made a mistake by coming back here, devil! You will pay for what you have done!"

With his vision and mind clouded by rage, the Chief let out a mighty cry and charged at the creature with his hammer raised above his head. The Stormcutter dodged and was about to take off again. Stoick ripped out the axe ebbed into the side of his house and threw it in the dragon's path, resulting in it losing its momentum and forcing it to land once again.

The Stormcutter turned back towards him and shot a stream of hot fire, which Stoick dodged. The fire, though, hit his hut and within seconds the flames threatened to swallow the whole building.

The attack, while doing nothing to him, gave the dragon enough time to jump into the air and fly out of range with just a few mighty wing beats. Stoick shouted in frustration and gave chase, determined to not let it get away a second time.

As the flames ate away at his hut behind him, the Chief thanked the gods that his son wasn't in there anymore. He had seen him running in the general direction of the forge not long ago. Hopefully he would stay there this time and not cause any trouble. He continued the pursue when realization hit him like a hammer.

His son.

The devil was just sniffing around the house and had not attacked anything or anyone.

The devil was just sniffing around the house where his son had been not too long ago.

Fear started to grow within him. The same fear that filled him when he saw his wife standing directly in front of it with a sword hanging limply in her hands, most likely drawing its attention away from their little babe who had been lying defenselessly in his crib. Had the beast come back to finish the job? Was it after Hiccup?

His parental instincts took over as he momentarily forgot about his revenge, and raced over to the forge, hoping to find his little boy there.

"Gobber, have you seen-," an empty room greeted him and Hiccup's apron lay discarded on his workbench by the wall. Stoick looked around frantically and tried to find that small mop of auburn hair between the many fighting Vikings.

He was about to run into the fray to find the boy, when a horrifyingly familiar scream pierced the air and the father's panic skyrocketed as, when he turned his head, he saw the Stormcutter descending at the edge of the village, where the scream originated from.

"Hiccup," he gasped and took off to rescue his son. He wouldn't let that devil take what he had left of his family.

0-0-0

'This is it,' Hiccup thought as he gazed up at the dragon in fear.

This was his end.

His father always believed he would meet his end through a dragon. Hiccup just never thought his end would come so quickly. The Monstrous Nightmare finally managed to corner the boy. Hiccup was covered in sweat and his legs burned from running too much. It felt like his breath was stolen from him as he panted heavily and tried to suck in as much air as possible.

The dragon looked smug about the pathetic little human shivering in fear on the ground in front of him and Hiccup knew that it was savoring this moment.

'Why, oh why didn't I stay at the forge and listened to Gobber?,' the teen thought desperately.

All of this could have been avoided, but nooooo, he just had to screw things up again.

Hiccup couldn't retreat any further as his back was already pressed against the wall behind him. He yelped when the dragon snapped at his feet. It was playing with him!

The dragon repeated the action a few times, snapping at the frightened boy or spitting a tiny flame at him. It seemed to amuse the reptile and actually gave Hiccup a hope that maybe someone heard his screams. Maybe, if he could occupy the dragon long enough, he could be rescued. Or the beast would grow bored and simply leave him alone.

That hope dissolved rather quickly, though.

The Nightmare seemed to be bored already and reared his head back, the flammable gas building in the back of its throat. Hiccup knew what would come next. But all he could do was to throw his arms protectively over his head and close his eyes tightly as he prayed to every god he knew. But he kind of accepted his early death and only regretted not being able to say goodbye to Gobber. Not that it helped making his situation less terrifying.

A roar pierced through the air around him, followed by the sound of a dull impact. Hiccup peeked from under his arms and gasped in shock as he saw the dragon crouching on the ground a few feet away and a big, four-winged dragon - one which he had never seen before - standing protectively over his small form.

Both hissed and spit at each other, occasionally clawing and biting if the Monstrous Nightmare came too close.

'Did that dragon just save me?!,' he asked himself. Hiccup stared at the reptile in front of him with confusion and somewhat awe. The dragon was intimidating, but it had a certain air around him. Just for a second, Hiccup felt completely at ease. It was like a mother protecting her child. Comforting and warming.

Then, the beast turned its attention to him; the Nightmare having retreated; and all feelings of safety disappeared, leaving only confusion and fear behind.

He trembled slightly and pressed further back into the wood as the dragon came closer. It crooned in what was supposed to be a comforting way but Hiccup's panicked mind couldn't comprehend anything right now. So ducked his head back under his arms and braced himself.

He felt the dragon's warm breath on his neck and yelped as he was nudged softly. Only as the seconds passed and still nothing happened Hiccup dared to peek out again. The reptile was looking at him with dilated pupils. The intimidating and wild look was replaced with something akin to curiosity and Hiccup felt his fear fade. Just a tiny bit.

Why wasn't it doing anything. This creature in front of him was supposed to be a bloodthirsty killer. Gobber always said that a dragon always goes for the kill so why didn't this one?

So many questions ran through the poor boys' mind, confusing him even more. He didn't even notice the heavy footsteps of someone running until a fierce battle cry rang out.

Both, Hiccup's and the dragon's head snapped up as Stoick ran at the beast.

"Hiccup! RUN!," his father bellowed.

With the dragon successfully distracted, and the teen pulled out of his frozen state, he ducked under its wings and ran back towards the forge while his father battled the Stormcutter behind him.

Cloudjumper growled, annoyed and relieved at the same time. Annoyed of the hatchling's sire, who kept interfering and relieved that he found said hatchling before the fireskin could harm him. Like suspected, his rider's offspring had grown since he last saw him. His scent changed which made it harder to find him.

The hairy human swung at him again. Cloudjumper dodged and lashed out at him.

"Just stay still you devil!," Stoick raged and moved to attack again. He was unprepared, however, when the Stormcutter lashed out with his tail, sending the Chief through the already weakened wall of a nearby building, stunning him in the process. The fire licked at his skin, leaving burns that would scar for sure.

Stoick scrambled out of the burning house just in time to see the Stormcutter taking flight again, following Hiccup.

"Oh no you don't," he growled and gave chase.

Hiccup, meanwhile, was running like Fenrir himself was after him. Everything was just confusing right now. What was going on today? Nothing made sense anymore. First, he was chased by an angry Monstrous Nightmare, then saved by a four-winged dragon and then his father came, staring at the dragon with a rage unlike anything he had ever seen on his face and even now he could hear the wing beats of the strange dragon closing in on him.

He still had a chance, though. He could still make it to the forge before the dragon reached him. But his lungs still felt ready to explode and his legs burned from the chase he endured earlier. The villagers were, as usual, too caught up in their own fights to notice him and Hiccup could see the first beasts leaving. The raid would soon be over. He just had to hold on and dodge until then.

The wing beats were getting louder.

His father's calls were desperate.

The forge was just ahead.

A weight came crashing down on him, tripping him.

Claws wrapped around his arms and he felt his feet leave the ground. Hiccup screamed as the dragon carried him higher and higher.

"NO! HICCUP!"

The teen locked frightened eyes with his father's equally terrified ones.

"DAD!"

"Hiccup..."

The dragon did not heed the calls of the Chief, nor did he acknowlege the now sobbing boy dangling in his grasp as he took the last remaining family of Stoick the Vast away from his home. The man stood at the edge of the village, watching helplessly as his son, his awkward, clumsy and absolutely wonderful child, was ripped away from him shouting for him again and again. So much like his beloved wife all those years ago.

Tears found themselves running down his face and into his beard as he mourned.

Hours later the villagers would find their leader still standing on the same spot, staring at the sky where their heir disappeared. The atmosphere was dejected. Even if nobody really liked the boy, seeing their Chief like this broke their hearts.

Gobber was the first and only to approach. He laid a comforting hand on his old friend's shoulder. No words were said. There was no need to.

Grief and agony filled both their hearts. But as the time passed, it changed to something else.

'I will avenge you, son,' the Chief thought as anger and hate directed itself to all dragonkind. They would pay for taking away his family and he would hunt down every single one of those devils. Starting with that owl-faced Stormcutter.


	3. Back from the Dead

The moon had already disappeared behind the horizon and the sun was just beginning to set as the rhythmic flapping of wings pierced through the relative calmness of the quiet ocean. Many hundreds of feet over the vast endlessness of the water flew a Stormcutter with its prey dangling from its claws. Hiccup had long since stopped struggling and sobbing and begging to be let go as he was slowly came to accept his fate. The tight grip the dragon had on his arms were starting to hurt as the weight of his body was supported only by them and sharp claws dug uncomfortably into his flesh.

The wind stung his face and his hands went already numb from the sheer coldness of it. But as it was, the dragon had seemingly no intention of landing anytime soon.

They had already flown through the entire night and Hiccup was beginning to wonder just where his captor was taking him. It couldn't be the nest in Helheim's gate, that was for sure as it was only a day's journey away from Berk by boat.

A dragon surely wouldn't take this long to reach it.

But Hiccup, after most of his fear was replaced by pain and despair, began to notice how they only went into a certain direction. And judging from the coldness seeping through his clothes and into his body, much colder than the usual weather on Berk, he guessed they were heading north.

While Hiccup knew he should be terrified, he couldn't help but feel amazed by the so very different scenery. Gone were the many sea stacks that dotted the archipelago.

They were replaced, instead, by large spikes of ice protruding out of the water, almost as if they wanted to pierce the sky itself. And instead of the islands of Berk's allies such as the Bog Burglars and the Meatheads, glaciers could be seen standing proudly in the distance.

Time passed by slowly as the dragon flew and flew without rest. Luckily, as the sun wandering its usual path, letting the warmth spread over everything it touched, the coldness got at least a bit more bearable for the captive teen.

Just when Hiccup was on the verge of passing out from the ever growing pain did the Stormcutter descend and the boy's fear came rushing back at full force when he saw where exactly they were headed. Right in front of them was a giant fortress completely made out of turquoise ice. Hundreds of spikes were jutting into the sky.

It was like a impenetrable, icy wall.

The dragon made something akin to a growling noise and headed towards an opening between the jagged ice Hiccup hadn't noticed before. The dragon weaved gracefully around ice columns and took sharp turns in tight curves without touching the wall at all.

The soft glow of the ice momentarily disappeared and Hiccup found himself in complete darkness as they flew through a section where nothing covered the tunnels of the original island.

The frightened boy could already hear many cries from different dragons coming from wherever they were headed and his suspicion was proven correct as they left the tunnel and entered a bright and gigantic room. Hundreds of dragons filled the air. Next to the usual Nadders, Zipplebacks, Gronkles and Nightmares were so many other species. Some of Which Hiccup hadn't even known to exist. Others of which he only heard in heroic tales from the warriors of his the vast variety of dragons wasn't what let his heart drop.

There, in the middle of the nest, rested a dragon bigger than anyone had ever seen before!Now Hiccup didn't know whether to cry or to be awed at the magnificence of the sight.

But he wasn't given the time to decide as the Stormcutter turned away and headed for one of the many small cliffs that littered the wall of the fortress. A few curious dragons were already gathered there and waiting for the dragon and his captive to land. Seeing this, Hiccup breath quickened and he mentally tried to brace himself for what surely was to come.

What he did next though, not only surprised him, but also the gathered dragons below. As the pair was only a few feet above the ground, the four-winged dragon released him and the moment Hiccup's feet touched the ground, the need to survive shoved all rational thought into the deepest corner of his head and he sprinted.

A few surprised outcries echoed behind him but it didn't seem like they were following him as the boy ran thoughtlessly away, jumped over sticks and stones, avoided other reptiles and turned whenever something blocked his way. Somewhere deep inside he knew that his afford was as useless as jumping from a high place and hoping to land safely, but at this point in time, he really didn't care. He wouldn't remember the way out since he was brought here by a flying, fire breathing lizard and every turn he took turned out to be a dead end or would lead to another dragon's nest.

As the adrenaline coursing through him finally lessened, Hiccup ducked into a cave and pressed himself against the wall furthest from the opening. It was small and perfect for someone his size and no dragon except maybe a Terror would probably fit inside so it gave the boy a certain feeling of safety. His arms still ached from being carried for hours and fatigue threatened to catch up with him, but Hiccup forced himself to wakefulness and slowed his heavy breathing in hopes to not be heard by any passing dragon or worse, the Stormcutter.

He could hear them move about though and saw a shadow looming over the entrance. From the growling and the size he could tell that it was the owl faced dragon. The croons and growls were probably telling him to come out if it could talk. As if Hiccup was stupid enough to listen to them. For now, he just hoped that the dragon would get bored and leave. Maybe then he could find a way out of this mess. Or they wouldn't and Hiccup would agonizingly starve to death. He just had to wait and hope for the best...

**0-0-0**

When Valka woke up that particular morning, she was greeted with the coldness of stone and ice beneath her. Not at all the usual warmness and comfort of her beloved companion. She looked around the dark cave that has been her home for so long now. But Cloudjumper wasn't anywhere near, apparently. Valka shrugged it off. It was surprising, but not unusual to find him gone. He could just be outside to take care of his business.

Dragons were very clean creatures in certain aspects, after all.

With a long yawn, Valka got up and went out to go on her morning patrol through the nest. She briefly greeted the alpha, before wandering around the nest, greeting and playing with the eager hatchlings on her way. Somewhere between arriving at the sanctuary and now she became the official babysitter for many of the hatchlings while their parents were gone. Now, while some species only laid eggs at certain times of the year – mostly around Snoggletog – and flew off with the great migration to their birthplaces, most of dragons of the nest laid their eggs here in the safety of the nest.

She didn't spot Cloudjumer though and started to wonder where he had flown off to.

Newcomers to the nest regarded her suspiciously as she walked by and some of the braver ones came over to investigate. While the flock was used to her presence here, new dragons often had issues with trusting humans. Especially if they had a run-in with Drago or any of his Trappers. To gain their trust, Valka had to show them that they could, indeed, trust her and that she was just another harmless flockmate of the nest.

By the time she confirmed that the nest was still intact and nothing had happened while she was asleep, she still didn't find her beloved companion. Valka even visited all of his favorite places to see if she could find him there. Worry already started to gnaw at her heart but she shoved it back with the belief that here, in the nest, nothing could happen to a fully grown Stormcutter.

Especially Cloudjumper.

When she finally spotted her companion, the momentary relieve she felt was swiftly replaced by confusion. The dragon sat crouched in front of a small opening, doing nothing but stare. As she got closer, she could hear him trying to coax something, or someone, out. Maybe a hatchling had gotten injured. Or a Terror did something and hid in there to avoid another dragon's wrath. Cloudjumper didn't seem angry or anything.

Just frustrated.

She called out to him in dragonese, to which he instantly responded by turning his head almost a full 180 degrees and squawking back a friendly greeting.

He trotted up to her and gently headbutted her into the direction of the small cave, before nudging her in the back. Valka curiously peeked into the opening...

...and almost had a heart attack.

She had expected a small dragon, a hatchling, maybe. But never in a million years had she expected to find a small, terrified human boy sitting pressed against the hindmost wall! She gasped as her mind ran over all the possibilities of how he could of gotten there. Valka peered inside the darkness once again to make sure her eyes hadn't deceived her.

No, still there.

"Cloudjumper, what did you do?! Where did you find that boy?", she asked in Norse, too shocked to be speaking his language.

As expected, he titled his head to the side and again gestured to the opening.

It had been so long since she had a real conversation with another human. But right now, she needed to get that boy out of there. Maybe find out who he was and then return him to his family. If he had one. He hadn't seen her yet...

"Um... hello?", she asked hesitantly into the darkness. Valka noticed how all sound from the boy had ceased. He was probably just as confused as she was.

"Ya can come out. Nothing here will harm ya, lad."

Five seconds...

Ten seconds...

…

And then finally:

"A-Are t-they gone?", a small and uncertain voice asked. Valka motioned for Cloudjumper to move back a bit.

"Aye, don't worry, they won't harm ya."

The vigilante dragon lady heard something shuffling and slowly, but surely, the young boy emerged from his hiding place. He was a bit older than she thought he'd be, maybe in his early teens... like her own son...

'Stop it, Valka,' she reminded herself mentally and turned her whole attention back to her newest problem.

The teen started a little at the tall form of Cloudjumper sitting behind her but didn't tense in preparation of sprinting away. Valka herself lowered her hands and held them open to

show him that she wasn't a threat as she approached him carefully. The boy was still terrified and shied away from her.

"W-Who are you? And where am I?," he asked, straight to the point and Valka gave him what she hoped would be seen as a reassuring smile.

"My Name is Valka and this is my home. The Dragon Sanctuary," she explained.

"Dragon Sanctuary?"

"Yes. It's a save haven for many dragons... and me, I suppose."

The boy looked more confused than ever now. Poor thing. He probably was like her all those years ago when she first set foot in the sanctuary.

"I don't understand. Why are none of the dragons attacking you? Aren't they supposed to be evil, mindless killers?"

Valka's expressions briefly darkened at the last question. She knew now that the boy most likely came from a Viking village. She would ask Cloudjumper about him later, though as he probably knew where he came from. Just for confirmation. It was no surprise that he thought all dragons were mindless Beasts. But he was just a child. He knew nothing more than the narrow minded way of thinking all Vikings seemed to have. He seemed more confused than terrified right now, however.

"Actually," she explained. "Dragons are very much like humans. They are amazing and kind, and protect each other. But, unlike us, they only attack when threatened."

As she spoke, the Vigilante noticed the teen becoming more confused. She sighed. Maybe this is too much for him to take in right now. Valka gently took him by the wrist and began leading him away. He didn't struggle, too mesmerized by her words and all the different species of dragons flying overhead. He probably didn't have time to admire his surroundings in his earlier panic. She brought him to the cave she was living in and sat him down on a makeshift chair.

Cloudjumper followed and made himself comfortable on his usual spot.

"I guess this is all a bit too much for ya to handle. I'll make ya some tea. It'll help, trust me. Now why don't ya tell me how ya got here?"

For Valka, this was just a way to get break the ice between them while she prepared the herbs for the tea. And as much as the boy didn't seem to trust her fully, she was the only human being in miles. He took one nervous glance around the cave, his gaze stopping at Cloudjumper, before refocusing on her.

"Well, your 'friendly' dragon kidnapped me last night..." he started, sarcasm practically dripping from his words. It seemed the shock had worn off just a tiny bit. But Valka still turned to look over to Cloudjumper accusingly.

"I'm sorry about him. I remember forbidding him from bringing humans here." Valka stated with the last part directed at her companion, who didn't look guilty at all. Then she remembered something.

"Say, what was yer name again? I don't think ya told me."

"Oh, sorry. My name's Hiccup."

The Vigilante almost dropped the plate she was holding. Hiccup?! Could it be? Hiccup seemed to notice her sudden uneasiness and frowned confused. Was it something he said? Valka carefully set the plate aside and slowly turned to face him.

"And... and where did ya come from?"

She had to make sure. The auburn haired boy shifted uncomfortable in her gaze as she approached.

"I'm from Berk. Y-you probably never heard of it before but..." Hiccup trailed off as Valka kneeled before him, looking intently at his face. Searching for something. "Is... Er... something on my face?" This was getting really weird. Her eyes widened as she finally noticed the small scar on his chin. The one her dragon left on him that fateful night.

"Hiccup?" She whispered. "It is you, isn't it?"

"Errr... Should I know you?"

"No" Valka sighed. "Ya were too young to remember. Hiccup... I'm yer mother..."


	4. Getting used to the Change

Hiccup groaned.

He took another wrong turn and ended up at one of his previous marks, which meant he was walking in circles. Again. It was moments like these where he asked himself just why he didn't listen to his mother when she told him to not go into the deeper caves. He seriously contemplated just sitting down and waiting for the uncertain rescue. Hiccup sighed and trudged onwards. There was not time to wallow in self-pity. He just had to try harder and find the exit. As he continued to roam through the complex caves, he thought back to how he got himself into this predicament.

A few weeks had passed since Cloudjumper brought Hiccup here and finding his mom was possibly the biggest shock he had ever experienced. And to find out she had been alive for thirteen years while living with dragons was even more of a shock for the poor boy.

Valka's confession about being his mother a few weeks prior was followed by tears and angry accusations from his part. He had missed her terribly even though he never got to know her and he knew that she had missed him just from the expression she wore when she found out who he was. However, all of this wasn't enough to shove the hurt away.

Why didn't she come back?

That was the question that rang through his head. But Hiccup couldn't possibly keep his eyes open after all he had been through that day. The journey had worn him down and the terrifying thought of being eaten alive really hadn't helped. So, after the initial shock was over, his mother ushered him to a bed made out of furs with a promise that they would talk everything out once he was well rested.

Hiccup wasn't surprised that he slept through the whole day.

As promised, Valka and Hiccup caught up with each other, even though it was somewhat weird to be sitting at a table and casually talking with a person you thought has been dead for almost thirteen years like it was normal. Not to mention the huge Stormcutter sitting right behind his mother. She told him what exactly happened the night she was taken away and why she hadn't returned and he, in turn, told her about his life on Berk. Needless to say, Valka was less than pleased to hear how the people treated her son. However, she didn't voice her thoughts because she didn't have to right to criticize the villagers as she practically abandoned Hiccup to that fate when she chose to remain at the sanctuary.

And even though the hurt at her was still present, he cherished every moment he could spend with his mother. He quickly found out that he was a mama's boy. Mother and son had so much in common that it was almost frightening. He even got along fairly well with Cloudjumper; not so much with all the other adult dragons, however. The dragon was, like Valka once mentioned, actually a big softie. He was very protective of his rider and even fussed over Hiccup. The boy could swear that he even tucked him in. Because there were times when he fell asleep somewhere and woke up in his bed and Hiccup knew that it couldn't be his mother since she was making her round through the nest. If Hiccup didn't know any better, he would say that the dragon was acting like a father caring for his son, or, in this case, his hatchling. Maybe the dragon felt guilty for just taking him or he just saw Valka as his companion and therefore, really saw Hiccup as his adoptive son?

But as happy Hiccup had been since being brought here, he still missed Berk. Not the people there, mind you, and certainly not the insults, but he missed the small things. Like the smell of molten iron when he worked with Gobber in the forge or the beautiful sunsets Berk had. Most importantly, he kinda missed his dad. The man had cared for him for his entire life. Even though he wasn't home that often and neglected his son for quite some time, he was still his father. Now, the man probably thought he was dead and Hiccup was torn between going back or staying with his mother.

Yet, as he sat on the edge of one of the many slopes surrounding the main room of the Dragon Sanctuary, Hiccup had already made up his mind.

The teen sighed as he once again took in the sight. The alpha, of whom Hiccup was still somewhat afraid of, still rested in the pond, sleeping peacefully and the dragons went on with their daily routine. A Scuttleclaw hatchling came up from behind and nudged him repeatedly in his side. Hiccup yelped as one rather hard nudged almost shoved him off the edge. He caught himself just in time and half-heartily glared at the hatchling before giving the hyped up dragon a good scratch. While he was still somewhat afraid of the grown dragons, the hatchlings he was completely fine with. They were small (in comparison to the adults) and cuddly and funny to watch.

The moments the other hatchlings noticed their sibling getting scratched and cuddled by the human hatchling, the others came rushing over to receive the same treatment.

"What?" he asked teasingly "You all want scratchies? Are you in need of so much attention?" The dragons chirped and purred at him, rubbing their bodies against him and occasionally drooling all over him. He had to admit, they were kinda cute. Hiccup played with the babies until their mother came and collected them. Then he was left standing there, not knowing what to do. His own mother was out on patrol and wouldn't be back for quite some time. And he couldn't sketch because he still didn't have pens and paper; Valka promised to bring him some form the nearest village the next time she had to go and get supplies.

All in all, the only thing he could do was sit around and wait for his mother to come back.

'Well, there's one thing I could do' Hiccup thought to himself. Even though he had been here for a couple of weeks, he hadn't explored the nest completely. It was huge and he often spent time with his mother instead of wandering around. Even as a child the desire to know how everything worked and what was where had always kept him running everywhere. He more than often got lost in the forest on Berk and his father always had to search for him and bring him home until Hiccup knew it like the back of his hand.

In the short time he'd been here, Hiccup had already found a few hidden hot springs. Most of the entrances to those were very small so that a human and a few of the smaller dragons would fit through. When Valka was gone, he observed the various races of dragons living in the nest; of course he always made sure to put enough distance between him and them so they wouldn't notice him. And he also found some very convenient shortcuts throughout the nest. However, his mother always warned him about going into the deeper part of the caves.

"Even after almost thirteen years of living here," She told him. "I would still get lost there if it wasn't for Cloudjumper guiding me through."

Of course, Hiccup, curious as he was, disobeyed and tried anyway.

The first few times he tried to go in there either his mother or Cloudjumper stopped him. Even if both were at the other side of the nest, somehow, they miraculously always managed to stop him just before he entered. How they did it, Hiccup never knew. But he did suspect that Valka may have had a dragon watching him just in case. Right now she wasn't in the nest, however, and that there was no way she could make it back in time even if she did have a dragon watching him.

And that was how Hiccup now found himself wandering around in the deeper parts of the caves, completely lost and confused.

'Great….' The teen thought. 'Mom told me to not go in the caves. And what do I do?' He inwardly cursed his curiosity. 'Why couldn't I have listened this one time?' Hiccup asked himself once again and trudged further through the tunnel as the light grew dimmer. It was probably getting dark outside by now. The caves beneath and around the actual nest went deeper into the original island than he thought. They were so far away from it, in fact, that not even the ice of the alpha's breath managed to get down here.

By now it must have been hours since he first set foot inside the caves and no matter how many times the boy tried to turn around or at least mark the places where he'd been already, he just couldn't find his way back. The whole system was far too complex and confusing. With a long sigh, Hiccup leaned back against the wall and slid down to the ground. His feet were hurting and exhaustion wore him down. If he was lucky, his mother was already back and would find him in an hour or two. If not… well, all he could do then was to prepare himself for a cold, long night alone and the dark.

Growl

Startled, Hiccup looked up. What was that? It sounded like a dragon. 'A dragon? Here?'

Grooowwl

He slowly got back to his feet and took a few uncertain steps forward. If a dragon was here, surely he couldn't be that far away from the nest, right? New resolve filled him as he hurried to find the source. And finally, he saw it. There was a light up ahead. The Exit! Hiccup let out a joyful "Yes!" and ran towards it. When he reached the entrance, however, disappointment hit him hard. Instead of icy walls and many dragons, Hiccup found himself in another cave filled with faintly glowing stones.

"Aw, come on…." He whined. "The gods must hate me…"

Under normal circumstances he would have marveled at the glowing surface of the rocks, but the cold was beginning to get to him. The sound he followed earlier was momentarily forgotten as he wrapped his arms around his shivering form to at least try and preserve the warmth of his body. It was already so cold that he could see his breath.

A threatening hiss behind him startled him. Hiccup whipped around to come face to face with a dragon he hadn't seen before.

It continued to growl at him; he probably invaded his territory, and Hiccup was frozen stiff.

Only when the dragon moved closer, did Hiccup snap out of it and scrambled backwards, effectively tripping over his own feet. He yelped when his head made contact with the ground. As the boy groaned and held his head in his hands, the dragon moved closer.

While the human hatchling was indeed invading its territory, it smelled like the human living in the center of the nest. Maybe it was hers? What was it doing all the way down here? The dragon had stopped growling by now and was sniffing the boy, who, in turned, was calmer now that the reptile didn't seem to be a threat.

"S-so, I guess you don't p-plan on harming me.." Hiccup stuttered "I d-don't suppose y-you can show me t-the way out of here, d-d-do you?" The cold was already getting at him again. His scaly companion warbled at him. A stark contrast to how it was five seconds ago. Now it seemed kind, friendly almost. The shivering grew worse. 'Why is it so cold all of a sudden?' Hiccup asked himself. He was so distracted by the effort to stay warm, that he didn't notice when the dragon moved.

He started when a warm snout nudged him back to his feet, and pushed him over to a small indent he hadn't noticed before. "W-what a-a-re you d-doing?" he asked. It gave another warble and curled around his small body. Hiccup let himself be pushed around and eventually found himself snuggling against the warm belly of the dragon with a wing covering him. The cold was almost immediately chased away. He unwillingly found himself relaxing against the scales and it was gradually getting harder to keep his eyes open.

It was weird, really. Usually he wouldn't be able to relax with a dragon in such a close proximity, but it showed him that it meant no harm. Maybe, it was time to finally let go of the fear that was instilled in him ever since he was a small child. He didn't know why the dragons raided Berk, but the dragons of the sanctuary were different. They were kind, gentle and friendly.

The warm body behind him purred. And like a lullaby sung by a loving parent, Hiccup was soon swept into the land of dreams, knowing he was safe and watched over while he slept.

This was how Valka found her missing child hours later. Curled up under a dragon's wing, sleeping soundly with a pleasant smile on his face.

**0-0-0**

When Hiccup woke again, the purring of the dragon was gone. And the smell of something burning was filling his nostrils.

"You're awake." Came a voice from somewhere on his left. Hiccup sat up and immediately had to stifle a cough as smoke filled his lungs. His mother stood by a small fire with an unsatisfied from etched on her face. He shook off the slight disorientation and tried to wave the smoke out of his face as he mumbled a small "good morning" in her general direction.

"I told you not to go into the caves." She told him. The accusing tone in her voice made Hiccup want to crawl back under the blanked and pretend nothing ever happened. "What would you have done if that dragon wasn't there? You would've frozen to death!"

"I'm sorry, mom…"

Valka sighed and put down the plate she was holding. She looked over to her son, who, by now was sitting upright and biting his lips while looking up at her with guilt clearly written all over his face. Undoubtedly, he was kicking himself for letting his mother worry about him. She walked over to the boy and gently pulled him into a hug, which he hesitantly returned.

"Just promise you won't do anything like that again."

"I promise"

They remained in their position for a few more seconds, before parting. Giving Hiccup a motherly smile, Valka reached over to where she left the plate and grabbed something he couldn't see.

"Well, now that that's over, breakfast is just finished." She said and handed her son the plate. Laying on it was something black and burned. It might have been a fish at some point in time but now it was so burned, it could have been a rock. "I might be a little out of practice but this turned out better than expected."

With the slightly proud look on his mother's face, Hiccup couldn't exactly say how bad it actually looked as he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Cloudjumper seemed to have the same thoughts because when Valka turned her back on him for a minute, he tried to give it to Cloudjumper, who sniffed it and almost instantly recoiled with a snarl. The teen gave a resigned sigh and reached to pick it up. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it-

The fish crumbled at his touch.

…

'The gods hate me…'


	5. Life on Berk

**0-Months later-0**

"Now, one of you lot will explain to me exactly what it was that caused the village's entire weapon supply to be destroyed!"

A group consisting of three teenagers stood before their angry chief, heads downcast and doing their best to not let their nervousness show as his cold eyes bore into each of them. Behind them stood a charred and burned something that was once the armory. Stoick inwardly growled as he waited for their answer. Next to him, his second in command and best friend shared similar looks. Honesty, some would think that with how much they needed their weapons ready and usable at any time, even the younger members of the tribe would know the problems such actions can cause.

"Well, you see..." Snotlout started at the murderous look his father sent his way. "We just-"

"Wanted to see how big the explosion of our Thorston Bangs would be! And let me tell you, Chief. It. Was. Awesome!" Tuffnut butted in, looking far too gleeful for his own glares of the surrounding villagers intensified and Snotlout felt like he was shrinking under the disapproving gazes.

"And what on Midgard possessed you to throw them into the armory?! It will probably take weeks before Gobber can rebuild all the weapons you lot destroyed! We're down one man in the forge. Did you even think of the possible consequences before doing it?"

The three flinched and looked down in shame as they finally realized just what they had caused, though Stoick's glare got even colder than it already was. The last few months had not been kind to Berk. Winter was coming and not only had the raids picked up like they always did around this time of the year, but the outcasts had decided to attack the tribe shortly after one particularly nasty raid. Needless to say, their losses in that time had been severe and many of their best warriors were seriously injured and wouldn't be on their feet for quiet a while. And now, to top it all, Berk was completely defenseless should the village fall under siege again. Behind him, Gobber threw the trio a scalding look and went to inspect the complete damage while Stoick gave them a severe scolding and a fitting punishment attached to it. Hopefully, some of their weapons could be rescued or repaired. Odin knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against the dragons, weaponless as they were now.

Gobber was glad, though, that their chief was mostly back to his old self. The first few weeks after Hiccup was taken, the man was practically unapproachable. He locked himself in his home and refused to see anyone, forcing his second in command, Spitelout, to take over for the time being. And while everyone respected their chief's privacy and gave him time to grief over his loss, Gobber knew that his old friend needed someone to help him through this. He himself loved Hiccup as if he was his own son, for Thor's sake! He knew what the man went through. But not even the Blacksmith managed to get through to him. But then, one night when the dragons came again, Stoick left the house. Without any weapon or shield, he tore into the beasts barehanded and left a bloody trail of corpses in his wake.

Nobody dared to approach him after that raid. It was as if Stoick didn't care what or who he ripped apart. Vengeance seemed to be the only thing on his mind that night. Right after that raid though, Stoick went back to resume his chiefly duties and was harsher than ever, dishing out punishment after punishment for the smallest of things and snapping at anybody that dared to protest. After a month of that kind of treatment from their chief, it was decided that Gobber should once again try and bring back the chief that everyone needed so desperately.

**0-Flashback-0**

Gobber raised his good hand to knock on the sturdy, wooden door, but hesitated. The last weeks were hard on the old blacksmith. Not only was his dear apprentice carried off by the same dragon that took his mother, but now his best friend and chief distanced himself from his own people, ruling the village with an iron fist and letting that old fool Spitelout stir up uneasiness within their own ranks, making a few vikings question their chief's ability to lead. No one dared to voice their opinion however. Needless to say, Berk needed its chief now more than ever.

Knock, knock, knock.

….

"Leave me be!"

He sighed and entered nonetheless. The hinges creaked as he slowly pushed the door open. The house was a mess. Furniture was upturned, plates were thrown about and even Stoick's weapons were all over the place, some lodged in the supporting beams of the house. Some of the axes were still tainted with dragon blood from the last raid.

Spotting the still form of the chief wasn't hard. He was sitting right in front of the fire, staring at it as if nothing in the world existed. He was a pitiful sight. The chief himself didn't make any indication that he noticed the other man enter. His shoulders slumped forward as if he was carrying a huge burden upon them. The most unsettling thing about the shell of a man however, were his eyes. The fire that was always present in them and kept him going through life at even the worst of times was gone, replaced by an endless sea of nothing.

"Stoick" he called softly "it's been weeks now. The village wants you back. Your old self at least."

The man shifted slightly.

"My people…" he scoffed. "It was always them I was available for. Whenever something came up, I helped them. But when was I ever there for him? Where was I when my own son needed me most?" The Blacksmith looked at his friend with sad eyes. He couldn't bring himself to answer. Both of them knew the the truth anyway. He was startled when all of a sudden Stoick stood and hurled the chair he was previously sitting on against the nearest wall with an enraged cry, where it shattered into pieces."Why do the gods torment me so much?! First they take my wife and now my son, too? What have I done to anger them?!"

Stoick, feeling drained from his short outburst of emotion, slumped to his knees. His deep gasps filled the silence of the room as his whole body trembled in agony and sorrow. Gobber honestly had no idea how to console his old friend. What does one say to someone who just lost someone he cared for deeply? He couldn't let his friend go on like this. "All those years... how could I have been so blind?"

"You know, Stoick, you're right. You were a terrible father."

The chief's head snapped up to see the blacksmith looking at him with anger burning bright in his eyes."You always handed 'iccup to me when something came up, which was almost all the time. You were gone on another of your nest hunts when the lad spoke his first words and even when he took his first steps. Gods above, if I didn't know better then I'd say I was more of a father to the boy than you were."

By now the chief had climbed back to his feet. His body was half turned to the blacksmith with his fists clenched tightly at his sides and he looked very much ready to cave in Gobber's face if he continued his speech.

"You always pushed 'iccup aside and let him think he had to do something outrageous to earn your recognition, hel, even just the slightest bit of affection! You were the one who let people treat him almost like an outcast and even encouraged it with your open disappointment and public punishments! Not to mention every time something happened, you immediately thought your son was the cause! You made him feel miserable and unloved for years!"

Something snapped in Stoick then. With a few long strides, he crossed the room faster then ever before and had Gobber pinned to the wall behind him."You never had a son! Don't talk like you know how it feels to lose his child! To know you have failed to protect him!" he shouted "I know I wasn't the best father, but Hiccup-"

"Wouldn't want to see you like this." The blacksmith said, now as calm as nothing had happened, cutting his friend off and making him lose his grip on Gobber's shirt.

Blue eyes shined with unshed tears as both men stared at each other. "You're not the best father in the archipelago, Stoick, but 'iccup still loved you dearly. And he wouldn't want you to continue like this. It would break his heart to see you now."

With that, Gobber pushed past Stoick, who stood frozen like a statue. When he reached the door, the man stopped to look briefly over his shoulder. "And I do know what it's like. The boy was my son in everything but blood, you know?"

And he left the house.

 

The very next day, when Stoick left the house, Gobber knew his message had gotten through. The chief was back to his old self and everyone couldn't have been more relieved about that. Well, almost everyone...

**0-0-0**

The blacksmith was snapped back into the present when the three troublemakers scurried past him as fast as they could and his chief and second in command came over to inspect the damage themselves. The remaining Thorston Thingy's were confiscated earlier to prevent any further "accidents". Spitelout shook his head as he cursed his son to Helheim and back for his foolishness while Stoick just grumbled under his breath.

"So, how bad is it really?" he asked, not really wanting to hear it, though.

"Well, the good news is, none of the material has been damaged enough to be beyond hope." the chief nodded. "And the bad news?"

"As you said yourself before, it will take weeks, to remake all the weapons. Not to mention rebuilding the armory. Maybe we should make it fireproof this time. Or set some traps in case three certain idiots try to something like that again..." the last part was mumbled under his breath. Stoick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The antics of those three were worth a two block headache. And it wasn't even noon yet.

"Is there any way to shorten that time?"

"You could have them help Gobber in the forge, Stoick. No better punishment than getting nasty burns and other injuries." Spitelout suggested.

"And have them mess up my shop? You can forget it, 'lout."

"Alright" Stoick said. "I guess there's no helping it. Gobber, try to work as fast as you can. Those devils can be back any day now and I don't want the village unprepared when they are. Spitelout, get a few men together and gather wood. We need to armory standing as soon as possible."

His orders given, the chief went back to his other duties and left the two men to their tasks. Gobber took a nearby carriage and started gathering the former weapons while Spitelout remained where he was for a few seconds more. While his son might not be mature enough to be chief yet, he already had an array of things he would change. He always thought Stoick was too soft to be chief. When his runt of a son had been born and his sister had managed to convince his brother in law to not toss him out to the sea, it had become painfully obvious to Spitelout. Stoick had become even weaker over the years. First, when Valka was taken and not that the little runt shared her fate. He wasn't the only one to notice and even though the chief had come back to his old self, Berk's second in command already caused several villagers to doubt their leader.

If everything would go as planned, he himself would soon be sitting on the throne. Then, every mistake made by his brother in law, would be corrected and Spitelout would go down in Berk's history as the greatest chief to have ever lived. But for now, he just had to wait for the right moment.

Spitelout had no doubt that an opportunity would soon present itself. And when it did, he would seize it. As he walked away to gather the men, he failed to see the blond teenager standing not too far away with blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Astrid had come home from training to see some of her peers get chewed out and stayed to watch the spectacle unfold. The former heir's death -there was not doubt of that in her mind- had only saddened a handful of people. While none of them celebrated it as something like that would just be dishonorable and disrespectful of the dead, most of the village was relieved when the auburn haired boy was gone. Everyone had high hopes that without him to mess around, there would be fewer accidents in raids and the general everyday life on Berk.

Sadly, without their personal punching bag, Snotlout and the twins were bored out of their minds. Apparently, Fishlegs wasn't as good a replacement as they had hoped and so they thought of other things to lighten up their day. It usually ended in destruction and chaos. So, all in all, life on Berk was almost the same as it was before, only with other troublemakers.

And now, watching Spitelout look at their chief with this unsettling light in his eyes worried her. It was no secret that he thought he could do much better as chieftain and in the weeks where Stoick had become unbearable, he was the one who stirred up trouble, always whispering in hushed tones how Stoick couldn't handle being chief anymore. Of how losing his family has clouded his judgment. Some people even believed him. Luckily, Stoick had come around and all but annihilated those doubts. But Astrid was sure the man wasn't finished yet and still had something up his sleeve.

Maybe she should watch him closer from now on...


	6. This is what I'm good at

If there was one thing Hiccup loved above everything else, it was the feeling of flying. Not by himself, of course but after spending the first few months after his "abduction" coped up inside the Sanctuary with nothing to entertain himself with and, in turn getting himself in some unpleasant situations, his mother started to take him with her whenever she went out to visit a few nearby trading posts. Being on Cloudjumper's back while he was hundreds of feet in the air was frightening at first, but it was soon replaced by awe and freedom he never felt before. It was nothing like the first time when he dangled from the claws of Cloudjumper like helpless prey and even though the flights never took long, Hiccup found himself enjoying every second of it. His mother, as he found out quick enough, shared the same passion and he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous about the fact that has been able to enjoy this feeling for over a decade now.

Valka told him that he could try and bond with one of the many dragons in the nest. That way he would not only have a loyal companion and friend by his side, but could go out and fly whenever he wanted to. Sadly, as much as Hiccup had tried, none of the dragons seemed to match with him. None of the dragons felt right.

"What am I doing wrong, mom?" he had asked his mother, who, in turn just smiled and told him that it took time to find the one destined to share his or her heart with him. And Hiccup was by no means impatient. But her words brought up the doubt of never finding the right one. After everything that had happened on Berk, it was rather easy for the boy to doubt himself. It grew worse every day.

"Look down, Hiccup. We're almost there." Valka told him and gestured down beneath the clouds, where Hiccup could see a port with many houses surrounding it. The trading post looked small from above, but it still seemed much bigger than Berk. His excitement began to grow as Cloudjumper descended towards the small bit of forest near the post. He never got the chance of visiting trading posts, so it was understandable that he felt like a child experiencing his first Snoggletog. His father never took him anywhere with him when he left Berk and the village market itself consisted of a few small stands where the villagers sold or traded their wares. He only heard stories about them whenever trader Johan came to visit.

The man always was very nice to Hiccup – probably because he was the chief's son – and told him many tales about the outside world. They were more than often much exaggerated, however.

As soon as the Stormcutter touched the ground, Hiccup all but jumped off his back and was only barely able to restrain himself from running right into the port. His mother, who climbed off her companion's back calmly, chuckled at her son's excitement.

"Remember, Hiccup. Stay near me and don't run off."

"I'm thirteen, mom…" he grumbled halfheartedly. Valka raised an eyebrow at her son. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so maybe I got a knack for finding trouble. But promise you, nothing bad will happen today."

With one last and long look at Hiccup, and a few pats for Cloudjumper, the pair headed towards the trading post. He didn't want to admit it, but Hiccup was actually very happy to be with humans. The months he'd been coped up inside the Sanctuary without any human contact except for his mother were kind of lonely. While he did enjoy being with a flock that treated him as if he was one of them, he still needed at least someone else to talk to. Even on Berk, while being Stoick's little embarrassment and practically and outcast, he had been at least near other people. Regardless of how they always wished he would just disappear.

When the two stepped out of the forest, they were greeted by the sight of so, so many people moving about in the busy paths of the trading post. Merchants were calling out to them as they passed, hoping to sell their wares to high prices. Hiccup had never seen such a busy village. If this could still be called a village. The houses were standing in rows rather than being scattered like you could see in the average Viking villages.

Just as he was about to mingle with the busy crowd, a hand fell on his shoulder and held him back. Hiccup look up to meet the serious eyes his mother.

"Remember what I told ya. Stay close, son. Now come, we have quite the list to complete." She led him through the masses, always having a hand guiding him. The boy inwardly groaned. Now that he was here, his desire to explore the entire town grew to an almost painful ache. But he promised to not run off. Maybe he could find some time later…

It was only some time later that Hiccup realized. Doing chores with his mother was pure torture. And she enjoyed it immensely.

Valka never seemed to need a break and after one thing on their list was crossed out, she immediately went on to the next one, dragging him along wherever she went. The masses of people Hiccup had stared at in awe just a few mere hours ago stared to become very annoying and tiresome very quickly. All of their chores were neatly packed in the basket his mother had brought from the Sanctuary, but whenever she had to haggle with a more stubborn and greedy trader, it was dumped on Hiccup, who by now swore that his arms would fall off any minute now. He promised himself that he would do his best to avoid situations like this in the future.

If he had to jump from somewhere high and break his leg to get away from this, he'd do it.

The familiar sound of metal hitting metal drew his attention away from his internal sufferings. Hiccup looked for the origin of the sound and there, at the other side of the street was a small forge. Promptly forgetting his promise of staying near his mother, the boy crossed the path and poked his head through the open door. He found the familiar smell of heated metal, soot and sweat welcoming and Hiccup took a few hesitant steps inside.

It looked like any other forge, but it was a bit bigger than Gobber's little shop. There were no prosthetic hands hanging from the walls either and it was a lot tidier than he was used to. Shining Weapons, from swords to axes and maces to spears, were placed in the shelves along the walls. A grinding wheel was sitting in the far corner and small tools for finer works were stacked neatly in a shelf near the wheel. There was a doorway to a small backroom, much like the one he had for himself on Berk.

"Well, are you going to keep standing there looking like some idiot, or are you going to buy something, lad? I ain't got all the time in the world, you know."

The gruff and somewhat scratchy voice startled Hiccup so much, that he almost dropped the basked and only barely kept his hold on the heavy thing. To his right at the far end of the room next to an anvil where a still hot glowing piece of metal rested, stood a burly looking man. Fierce and calculating grey eyes shadowed by unruly black hair and dirty skin were focused on Hiccup's small frame. His wore a beard similar to his father's but it was tied in a single, big braid which kept his facial hair from interfering with his work. He wore no helmet or any sort of armor. He didn't seem to carry a weapon with him either except for the heavy looking hammer held in a firm grip.

His attire, instead, reminded the boy of his own apron at Berk. Just bigger and much, much dirtier. The man probably never saw a need to wash it. And really, there wasn't.

The man cleared his throat when Hiccup took too long to answer and looked at him expectantly. "Oh… ah… S-sorry, sir. I was just looking around."

"Psh, don't waste my time then, lad. Bet your parents are looking for you. Why don't you go back to them like a good little boy?"

"I'm not a kid anymore!" Hiccup bristled. "And I was an apprentice back home, you know?"

The blacksmith actually had the galls to throw back his heat and give a hearty laugh. It only served to make Hiccup more and more annoyed by the man.

"You? You don't look like you could lift a hammer! How could someone scrawny little lad be a blacksmith apprentice?"

"I am! I can show you if you want!"

Still laughing, the man shook his head in amusement and turned back to his work, dismissing the boy completely as if he was nothing more than a bug on the wall. Hiccup bristled and was about to stomp out of the hot building, when one of the many weapons in the room caught his attention. He set the heavy basket down and went over to investigate. The other man probably thought he left and didn't notice when Hiccup carefully picked up the axe and inspected it. It looked a lot like the one that he had made for Astrid a few years ago. Runes decorated the cool metal and beautiful designs were carved into the wood. But the colors were not the same and half of the handle was wrapped in worn leather.

But the balance was off and the head was loose. The edges were sharp but the wood the handle was made out of didn't look that stable. All in all, while the design was beautiful, this axed would be very useless in battle.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, boy? Put that down!" Came the voice of the blacksmith from right behind him. Hiccup flinched violently and turned to face the tall man.

"Sorry, sir. I just noticed this axe and wanted to look at it."

"That thing is not for sale. It's broken." The man moved to take the weapon from Hiccup, when "Have you ever tried welding the head to the handle? Then it wouldn't be so loose."

The man raised a brow. He was considering it as he had never thought about doing that. The costumer who gave him the axe told him to get rid of it if he couldn't fix what was wrong. He, of course, noticed the faults instantly and would have done exactly that if that thing wasn't such a beautiful piece of art. But never could it be used in battle. Not like it was.

"I…. could do it, you know." Hiccup said. "I might have an idea how to repair it. I just need a bit of time and I swear, whoever this is from, will get an axe that is not just nice to look at, but deadly in combat."

The man was about to decline. But he knew the boy wouldn't give up that easily. Determination shone in his emerald eyes brighter than he had ever seen before. Something about the youth just told him to accept. To see if he was telling the truth and to give him a chance to prove his skills. So, with a heavy sigh, the blacksmith gave a short nod and a gruffly "fine". He beckoned him to follow him to the backroom, where he stored all of his materials.

"I'll give you a chance, lad. But trust me, if you mess up anything, you'll never set foot inside my forge to bother me again, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Hiccup answered with a cheeky grin and got to work.

"The name's Gunnar, by the way…"

**0-0-0**

Valka sighed in satisfaction as she finally managed to agree on a reasonable price on a few pieces of nice fur from the trader. The man, a greedy little fellow, grumbled moodily as he handed over the wares. He had learned the hard way what happened when you base costumers' personalities on their appearance. And Valka, while having a lean, but frail looking body, was still a Viking chief's wife and just as boar headed like many other Viking women.

She wished the man a good day and turned to place her the bought items with the rest of their stuff, when she found something missing. Not something, but someone, actually. Her heart dropped as she realized that her son was nowhere to be found. She hastily turned in all directions in hopes of finding the familiar auburn hair of her only child in the crowd. But her search turned out to be fruitless. So the now worried mother set off to find her son, all the while panicking inside and beating herself for letting him out of her sight.

She told him to stick with her! She told him. However, Valka actually had to wonder why she was even surprised. The months she had spent with her son gave her some insight to his personality. And Hiccup was much too curious for his own good and a trouble magnet to boot. There probably was no worse combination.

As time went by, she was no closer to finding Hiccup than at the beginning. He wasn't answering her calls and she never spotted her child among the many people. Oh why would he not follow her instructions? What if Drago's men were in town? What if slave traders got a hold of him? Why was she so foolish as to let her son out of her sight for even a minute? Valka even started to ask around if anyone had seen her boy, but no one did and worry gnawed at her much stronger than before. For a few hours, she wandered aimlessly around town. Still looking for Hiccup.

It was when she walked by the town's forge that she finally heard his voice. It was no scream of fright or cry for help, but laughter.

She followed the sound and soon found herself sanding at the entrance of the shop. The heat coming off of it was almost unbearable but she stood firm and hesitantly peeked inside. The air was sticky and the room, while very well organized, crammed. And in the midst of it all stood the one she had searched all over the town. He was laughing and smiling about something the other man in the room must have said. In his hands was a sharp looking axe. Valka's shoulders slumped in relief as she saw her child was unharmed and had not, as she first believed, run off only to get kidnapped or hurt.

However, that relief quickly turned into frustration. He had disobeyed her yet again and made her worry beyond believe. And while she could never be truly angry with her son, she was certainly frustrated over her Hiccup's behavior. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"

Said boy flinched so harshly that he almost dropped the weapon in his hand and turned to the owner of the angry voice. Guilt washed over him as he laid his eyes on his mother. For him, it seemed as she spit fire and would lung at him any second now. Instead, she rushed forward, completely ignoring Gunnar, and hugged him tightly.

"I told you to stay with me! Do you have any idea how worried I was? Anything could have happened!"

Before Hiccup could open his mouth to give his reply and an apology, Gunnar cut in. "So, you're Hiccup's mother, I take?" Valka finally took notice of the other man. She let go of her son and turned to him. "Yes, I am. I apologize if my son has caused you any trouble."

Gunnar laughed. "Hah! Trouble? No, no. Not even in the slightest. He's a stubborn one, though. Came barging in, telling me how he was a blacksmith apprentice. I didn't believe him but then he repaired this axe and let me tell you, never before have I seen such craftsmanship."

Hiccup blushed a little at the praise and Valka took a closer look at the weapon. The Blacksmith was right, of course. It was polished and gleamed in the faint light of the fire, the edges were sharp and the whole thing looked like newly made. She knew that Gobber took Hiccup under his wing, but she never knew he was that good at blacksmithing.

"I'm sorry for running of, mom." Hiccup said. "I know I broke my promise. It won't happen again."

Valka sighed. "It's alright. Yer not harmed. But don't do that again, you hear me? I was worried about you." She turned back to Gunnar. "We'll be taking our leave now. Thank you for looking after him."

"It's alright. Be sure to drop by when you're in town, Hiccup. Now that I have seen what you can do, I'd love to see more." He said and Hiccup grinned back at him, happy to have found a way to work in a forge again. He gave one last wave to the blacksmith and then the pair collected their things and was off.

They were walking in an awkward silence for a while before Valka spoke again.

"Do you miss working in the forge?" She asked and Hiccup glanced up at her. He did miss his old job. And boy, did he miss Gobber, but there was no way to continue this passion back at the nest.

"Yeah, I kind of do. But it's not like I can do anything about it."

Valka hummed and they continued to trek down the street. The mass of people was slowly dissolving as it was getting late. The sun had already started to set and the sky was a colorful play of many different shades of orange and red. The sight tore at Hiccup's heart as a sudden wave of homesickness overcame him. The sunsets on Berk were always a sight to behold. Never would he have thought he would miss them this much. He once again thought about his father, whom he couldn't help but miss dearly. An unexpected urge to see the man hit him but Hiccup shook it off. He made his decision when he was brought to the Sanctuary. Everyone thought he was dead anyway. How would he explain that he was still alive?

Maybe it was also fear. Fear of what he would see if he returned. Fear that his father was much happier without him around to mess things up. Was this maybe how his mother felt when she was taken so long ago?

"Mom?" he asked.

"Yes, dear?" he hesitated for a second. "Why did you never come back to Berk?"

They'd been over this already, but back then, it was all rushed and just the short versions. He wanted to hear all of it.

Valka faltered for a second. He could tell that she wasn't comfortable speaking of it. But there was no accusing tone in his voice. Just plain curiosity. And maybe the smallest hint of sadness. She thought of her next words carefully. She could tell him what she always told herself over the years, but those were partly lies and Hiccup knew it. He wanted to truth. He wanted to know why he didn't have a mother like most of the others while growing up.

She was about to give him her answer, when a commotion stopped them both in their tracks. They were near the docks and saw that a heavily armored ship had just anchored. Its sail was proudly displaying the crest of Drago's trappers, showing their affiliation to him. A group of armored men crossed the wooden gang plank and ventured into the town, not without intimidating a few people on their way. Hiccup noticed his mother's sudden stiffness and was confused. He didn't know the crest and those men sure looked not to be trifled with, armored as they were.

"Mom, who are they?" Hiccup asked.

"We have to leave. They might not know me, but it's better if we are not seen by them." He didn't expect the urgency in her voice as his mother began to gently push him away from the weird ship and its even weirder occupants. But he let himself be guided along as he and Valka hastily left the town, figuring he'd get his answers soon enough.

They reached the forest in mere minutes and found Cloudjumper waiting patiently for them where they left him. The basket was secured on his back and they were on their way home. Valka was quiet during the flight, still tense and she repeatedly checked their surroundings and the ocean below and kept looking back as if she expected to spot someone following them.

Now Hiccup definitely knew something was wrong. Whatever history her mother had with those men, was undoubtedly not one based on friendship and butterflies. A sudden wave of fatigue hit him, but he was too tense to give in to it, so he settled for watching the passing clouds until finally, the Sanctuary was in sight, hidden amongst the ice of the north.

Valka let out a sigh of relief when the trio finally descended. And only when Hiccup was tucked in and she stood alone did she allow herself to relax.

They were home.

She watched the sleeping face of her son and lovingly brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. She didn't know why she was so much more tense than usual when she thought of Drago and his army of Dragon Trappers. Maybe it was because now, she had someone too look after. Someone she cared about. And Valka wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her son. She didn't want to think about what the madman would to to someone like Hiccup if he ever got his hands on him.

Valka placed a kiss on Hiccup's forehead and removed herself from his bedside to get some sleep herself.

And in the comfort of her companion's wings and the screeching of many dragons, she let go of her worries and drifted off into a much needed slumber.

They were safe.


	7. Enemy Revealed

His mother had been different ever since their town visit a week ago.

She avoided questions about this topic and was more often making patrols. It wasn't like he was used to from his father, though. It seemed like she was thinking and worrying about something at the same time.

And quite frankly, Hiccup was getting fed up with it. If he had wanted to be ignored and shoved aside, he would go back to Berk. And while he was patient and giving her space; as both of them still weren't completely used to the company of each other; it still was frustrating to watch. The day always started with having an awkward and silent breakfast together, followed by his mother leaving for patrol and leaving him at the nest by himself for most of the day, before returning long past noon only to hurry through the nest for every single thing to be done.

Just a few words were shared between them and Hiccup seriously started to question his sanity when he, out of boredom, just walked right up the Bewilderbeast and climbed onto his head to relax. Luckily the King never minded and would sometimes try to start a conversation with the teen. Finding out that the alpha could communicate with humans mentally, even if most of it was just feelings and memories, shocked him to the bone and excited him to no end equally. He once even asked him if he could teach Hiccup the language the dragons spoke but for whatever reason, the king always told him to wait.

What did he have to wait for? Hiccup had no idea and the dragon always was mysteriously quiet about that part.

That evening, he lay in his bed waiting for Valka to come home. She was late. Well, later than usual and he couldn't help but worry about her. She never really told him what or who exactly she was fighting against. The only thing he knew was that dragon trappers worked for the enemy and they, like his father always tried to find the nest. Only, in this case, it was the sanctuary.

His thoughts started to wander. He kind of missed Gunnar. While he may have known the blacksmith for just one day, the man reminded him so much of Gobber. He didn't possess Gobber's sarcasm; which Hiccup had picked up from him as a child; and he was much cleaner but the two matched in many other aspects. He wanted to back there to the trading post. Just to come and visit. But with his mother like she was, he probably wouldn't set a foot out of the sanctuary for another month or longer.

The familiar roar of a Stormcutter alerted Hiccup to his mother's return. He quickly pushed the thick furs off and hurried outside. Valka tiredly climbed off her companions back when her son came over to welcome her back. They shared a hug in greeting and she immediately went off to bed, tired from fending off the trappers who dared to venture inside the alpha's territory. Cloudjumper, the ever faithful dragon, followed her after nuzzling Hiccup lovingly. And then he stood alone.

'This is almost Berk all over again...' he thought, saddened and annoyed at the similarities between his parents right now. Sighing in frustration, Hiccup went back ti his corner and lay back down. Sleep didn't come to him easy that night.

It took him another week before, finally, he got the chance to get some answers. Valka had just come back from another of her patrols. She was tired and covered in dirt, which she, immediately after greeting her son, went to wash out. Cloudjumper was equally tired and stayed by their cave and Hiccup took the given opportunity. He followed his mother down to the stream and waited until she was in the middle of the task of scrubbing away at the dirt before making his presence known.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Who were those men at the port?" Her hand paused momentarily and Valka glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. Then she resumed her work with more force than necessary. Tense moments of silence followed as Hiccup watched his mother fight an internal battle with herself. He knew she didn't want to tell him but the boy felt he had the right to know if something, or someone dangerous, someone who posed a threat to his new found home and happiness was out there.

Finally, the woman sighed and set aside her tools to look her son right in the eyes. "Why do you want to know so badly? You don't need to concern yerself with this, Hiccup. And I don't want to drag you into this."

"But mom," Hiccup protested. "don't you understand? It does concern me! I am already in this. The moment Cloudjumper brought me here, into your life, I became a part of it. And if someone out there wants to hurt you, they will go after me eventually."

"Which is exactly why I'm not including you! If that madman finds out about you, he'll come after you!"

"But you'll stand a better chance if you'd just let me help!"

At that, Valka actually rolled her eyes. "You don't even have a bonded dragon companion, yet."

"I'll find my dragon! And once I have I can-"

"You will only get in the way, Hiccup!" She cut him off and Hiccup recoiled at those words. He'd heard them many times in his life already. Back when he was still 'Hiccup the Useless'. Back on Berk, where his own father used those exact words against him. Hearing them now, coming out of his mother's mouth, was like a slap in the face. His heart hadn't healed quite yet.

"H-Hiccup, I…." Valka tried, but Hiccup didn't stay long enough to hear it. He turned and raced away. His mother was left standing at the water's edge, feeling guilty and ashamed.

To avoid being found quickly, Hiccup hid inside a small and cramped crevice near the alpha's pond, fully intending on staying there for the rest of the day. His mother's words stung. The time since his abduction was probably the happiest he'd ever been and hearing her say something like that brought him crashing back to Berk. To all those disappointed and hateful looks, the physical abuse suffered by his own cousin and his friends and the loneliness that followed him every waking moment.

Valka, despite being gone entirely from his life for so long, had tried her best to make up for the missed time and treated him like any parent was supposed to treat their child.

'I'm such an idiot' Hiccup thought, letting out a shaky breath. His mother was just worried about his safety. She, like every parent, would try and keep him out of harm's way. He'd seen how she reacted to those men. They were dangerous and, in her eyes, were to be kept away from her son. Guilt hit him as he recalled leaving her standing back there. 'I better go and apologize to her...'

Yet, Hiccup couldn't will himself to leave his hiding spot. The noises of hundreds of dragons moving about the nest were somewhat calming, as were the rhythmic breaths of the Alpha. As close as Hiccup was to his pond, he could almost hear the steady heartbeat.

Ba-bum…

Ba-bum...

A sudden, low ringing noise pierced through the squawks and roars. It sounded very close and he looked around to find its origin, only to flinch violently when Hiccup felt something touching his mind. An enormous presence, making him feel small but at the same time comforted, was knocking on his inner walls. Hiccup grew nervous. It was something he had never experienced before. The ringing sound grow louder but he still couldn't find out what was causing it.

Something moved right outside his hiding spot and he slowly crept to the entrance of the crevice. The alpha had moved from his usual spot and was laying at the edge of the pond, right in front of the crevice and Hiccup, once again, admired the majestic dragon that was a source of comfort and safety to all of the nests inhabitants. It wasn't until deep emerald met crystal blue that he knew what the presence was and where the noise was coming from.

The king wasn't demanding and he waited patiently for his small not-dragon flockling to allow him entrance into his inner sanctuary. Hiccup got over his initial shock and hesitantly accepted the king's mind into his own.

He wasn't prepared for the overflow of emotion coming from the gently dragon, however. Hiccup cried out in pain when the raging storm of emotions flooded his head. Flickers of memories flashed in front of his eyes and his hands shot up to grasp his head as pain set in like hot iron on naked skin. He whimpered pathetically and the alpha, realizing that he was accidentally hurting his small flockling, was quick to pull away and suppress some of the overwhelming feelings projected towards the boy. Hiccup felt the dragon withdraw a bit from his mind and knelt on the ground for a moment to catch his breath.

'The Bewilderbeast can talk!' Hiccup realized. The King was talking to him. Not like anything he had ever experienced but this was amazing! With the pressure gone, he could feel so much through the connection. The most notable was the compassion the Alpha felt towards all of his subjects. Including him.

Guilt…

A new feeling flew through the bond. The alpha was apologizing. Hiccup dared to look up and met the king's eyes again. They were like an open book for him now. What he could feel he could also see in those eyes. Even though he was still a bit shaken from the unintentional attack, he gave a faint smile. Apology accepted.

Sad. Little flockling why?

"What? No, no. I'm not sad" Hiccup said. Liar.

This statement was met with confusion. The Alpha didn't understand him. Hiccup knew, that with them practically in each other's mind, there was no way he could lie to the king. He might even insult him if he tried. So, with a small sigh of resignation, he tried again. This time projecting his thoughts and emotions through the connection.

Sad yes. Feel small worthless useless. Mother –dam- rejects me? Father –sire- rejected me? Not enough? Lonely hurting cry out nobody comes everyone turns away useless! prove myself still not enough. Need love comfort useless! Help me?! Comfort me?!

Hiccup didn't notice when tears started to roll down his cheeks as he poured out his heart to the Alpha. It had been too long since he could cry into someone's shoulder. His father stopped listening when he was around six and he didn't want to bother Gobber. His only friend on Berk had turned his back early on to avoid suffering through the abuse Hiccup was subjected to. So he bottled up everything inside him. If he wasn't as broken as he was he would find it ironical that the first person he could go to find comfort in –really find comfort in- was, in fact, a dragon. A very intelligent one, but a dragon nonetheless. Sure, he told his mother when he arrived at the sanctuary, but humans couldn't feel the emotions as this Bewilderbeast could.

The King remained quiet as his little flockling cried in front of him and opened up to him. He went through this once. When Valka was brought here years and years ago, she too, was broken. But while she missed her babe and mate, this little boy just wanted to feel loved. He was lonely throughout most of his life. He couldn't understand human speech, so he didn't know what Valka had done to make her offspring feel so unloved all of a sudden. The boy felt as if his sire and dam had left him. But he, as the Alpha, knew better. His dam loved him. She would always speak about him. How much she wanted to keep him safe. How happy she was that she was finally reunited with her long lost babe.

Comfort. Love. Dam loves you. Flocklings love you. Safe here. Not alone. Little flockling that I love.

Warmth spread through Hiccup. The Alpha spoke the truth. Through him he felt the love his mother felt for him. The fear for his life and the happiness of seeing him again after so many years torn apart. He managed a small smile through his tears. He couldn't much about his life on Berk. Those demons of the past would probably cling to him his whole life. But he could make it better.

0-0-0

Hiccup didn't move from his spot next to the pond for hours, soaking in the Alpha's comforting presence, occasionally trading thoughts with him and simply relaxing. The drama from before almost completely forgotten.

Only when he felt someone settle down next to him in the grass, did he remember. Mother and son sat next to each other in silence for what felt like hours. Neither knew what to say and therefore settling for an awkward silence. Cloudjumper eventually grew tired and curled around the pair, dozing off.

"Hiccup-" "Mom-" Both started at the same time.

"You go first." Valka said but Hiccup shook his head. "No, no. You first."

The woman sighed and shifted her gaze to look her son directly in the eyes. That way, he would know that the following words were nothing but honest. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I never intended to hurt you the way I did. All I want is to keep you save and from harm's way. I know I haven't been there for you all those years, but I can't change what has already happened. Would you be willing to give me another chance? To start over?"

Hiccup let a small smile grace his features and embraced his mother gently. "Of course, mom. I guess it just takes a while to get used to not being alone anymore. And I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have pestered your for information about something that doesn't concern me."

Valka returned the hug and stroked her son's hair, glad that he had already forgiven her for her earlier outburst.

While searching for her son throughout the nest, she had done a lot of thinking over everything. Everything being the threat that Drago posed for not only her, but the entire archipelago and more importantly, her son. His arriving at the Sanctuary proved to be an enormous impact on her life and everything connected to it and she realized, that sooner or later, he would have to face what was out there. Valka had to tell him. As much as she despised the idea of dragging her little boy; because to her, he was still the tiny, innocent baby who looked sickly enough for her to doubt his surviving his first ice on Berk; into the mess that was her life. It took her quite the effort to come to her decision.

Mother and son pulled away from each other, not quite letting go completely.

"Hiccup," Valka said. And all of a sudden, the blissful mood vanished as her smile was replaced with a seriousness that had Hiccup on edge. "Earlier, you asked who the men at the port were. I didn't want you to know any of what was going on. But I came to realize, that sooner or later, you would find out anyway. I want you to be prepared for that, so I will answer your questions. However, it is not a simple story."

The boy tensed at the seriousness of his mother's voice. He suspected there was something going on.

"Those men you saw were dragon hunters." He guessed as much. "You should know of them. Berk did occasionally trade with them. But those men you saw, are working for someone. His name is Drago Bludvist. He is a madman who captures and enslaves dragons to build a dragon army. He is the one I'm fighting against and if he is not stopped, he will conquer the entire archipelago."

Valka paused, letting her son take in the information she had given him for a moment.

"When Cloudjumper brought me here, it didn't take long to find out about him and his ambitions. I started to oppose him. I freed captured dragons and attacked his bases. Ever since he found out about me, he's been trying to find the Sanctuary. The reason why I didn't want to involve you was because I'm afraid that he will try to use you against me. He already tried so many things to lure me out into the open. I know what Drago Bludvist is capable of and I am afraid of losing you once more, Hiccup. But I see now that you have a right to know the dangers outside the Sanctuary."

To Hiccup, this Drago person did sound like a very unpleasant fellow to cross paths with and even with the few details his mother gave him, he had no desire to actually meet the man. Even though he was barely a teenager, a small and scrawny one at that, he was aware of the seriousness of their situation. He still wanted to help. But he doubted that Valka would just let him run out there and fight Dragon Hunters like he wanted to. She said he had to know, not to help her. He knew now that it was fear that held her back. The fear every mother carried deep inside their hearts. Hiccup could understand that. Her fears were well-founded seeing as he had knw next to nothing about actual battle or fighting in general. He didn't even have a dragon companion yet. What could he possibly do? Make the enemy laugh themselves to death?

However, he knew what he had to do. Hiccup looked hard into Valka's equally emerald eyes.

"Mom," he said. "I still want to help you. I know I'm just a scrawny little kid, but with someone like Drago running around out there, wouldn't it be much easier if you had ever support you could get? I want to help you protect the dragons. The Sanctuary has, in the short time I have been here, become like home and I can't just sit around and hope for the best while my home is threatened. Please, mom. Let me help you!"

Hiccup felt his mother's gaze burn through him as he said those words. In fact, he felt not just her eyes on him. He still felt the Alpha's presence inside his mind as he looked at his soul, searching for the tiniest shred of deceit in his words and feeling his determination flow through their bond. Yet, he never let his eyes stray from hers.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she closed her eyes and sighed. The Alpha seemed pleased with what he found, too.

"Fine" she told him. Valka stood and offered him a hand, which he took smiling. "But if you really want to help, then you need to learn how to fight."


	8. Getting Stronger

"Don't lose sight of them."

As Hiccup flew above the clouds, trailing after the hunter ships daring to enter the White King's territory, all he could think of was that nagging feeling deep in his stomach. It started a few weeks ago and simply wouldn't stop, no matter what he did. At first, he thought it was some kind of stomach bug he caught but even after taking a few herbs it was still there. He knew getting distracted in battle could cost him his life, which was why he hadn't engaged the hunters yet. Hiccup had to push these thoughts aside if he wanted to succeed in his mission.

His dragon companion, whom he had asked to fly him today, purred comfortingly beneath him. It was a female Scuttleclaw who loved to mother him when Valka wasn't home and already doing it.

"I know, girl. Thanks", he told her and patted her side. No time to linger in the past now, he had to focus.

Drago's men had been getting bold. Openly and willingly entering the "Dragon Thief's" hunting ground. He suspected they wanted to bait her. But his mother was at the sanctuary, leaving him to patrol the territory. Hiccup checked his armor and mask – he wouldn't want any stray arrow to impale him – made sure that his sword on his hip was secure and leaned forward. The Scuttleclaw squawked questioningly, eager to drive these menaces away from her home and hatchlings.

"Let's go girl." And the duo quietly descended. It was the last rays of the sun had vanished behind the horizon a while ago so they were covered by the night's darkness. Only a handful of trappers were on deck, the others most likely asleep already. Hiccup knew how these ships were built by now, but still took time to analyze this one. The hatch leading down into the hull and the caged dragons was at the front of the very armed ship. One soldier was walking standing near it. Two others were patrolling at the railing on both sides of the ship. He couldn't see anyone else. Usually he would burst, maybe cause a distraction so he would be able to free a few dragons before being forced to engage.

But that was when he was patrolling with other dragons or his mother. Now he was alone. He couldn't just attack like always. He needed to be stealthy and vigilant.

Hiccup leaned down. A series of clicks and growls came out of his mouth as he told the dragon of his plan. She squawked in answer and flew close the ship, just out of sight of the patrolling men. The teen silently jumped from her back and clung to the creaking wood and watched as the Scuttleclaw hurriedly flew out of range. He peaked over the railing,

One of the men had just passed his hiding spot. The other would come by soon. He had to hurry.

He looked up to the Scuttleclaw and gave the hand signal. The dragon immediately dived toward the ship, alerting the hunters. The mend left their posts but didn't sound the alarm. One single dragon wasn't worth waking the whole crew for. While the Scuttleclaw successfully distracted them, Hiccup quickly moved to the hatch and slipped downstairs.

The cages were all filled. Some of the captured dragons came from the sanctuary. Many had horrific scars from Drago's traps. Hiccup hissed angrily at the sight. How someone could be so cruel as to hurt other beings like this was lost to him.

By now, the Scuttleclaw had caused quite a commotion. A few more men had come out to help out. The dragons in the cages started to get restless. The auburn-haired teen hurried from cage to cage, hissing soothing words in dragonese to the agitated dragons to calm them down while he worked on the locks.

But just as the last dragon was freed, the hatch swung open and hunters rushed down, weapons at the ready and all of them pointed at him. "We've got yer now, little thief." One of them said. "Drop yer weapons now and we won't harm yer… too much."

Hiccup hissed threateningly at the men causing the dragons behind him growl and roar in response. The men hesitated for a second, some even backed away from the angry horde of reptiles in front of them. The beasts used saw their chance and used it to rush to the only exit of this cramped space, forcing the hunters to leap aside. Hiccup yelped and managed to swing onto the back of a passing dragon "Go,go,go!" he encouraged the dragon. The alarm was sounded and more and more hunters filled the deck.

The situation quickly descended into pure chaos as dragons swarmed the boat. Bolas and nets flew through the air, knocking dragons down midflight. Shouts came from beneath him and Hiccup had to hold on tight as arrows rained down upon him and the Nightmare. He yelped as a single arrow managed to graze his right leg.

He spotted his Scuttleclaw just a second before a net materialized out of nowhere and wrapped around him and the dragon currently carrying him. The Nightmare roared angrily and Hiccup shouted out in alarm as they both began their uncontrolled freefall. Right back towards the dragon trappers' ship. The crew cheered at their catch.

Try as he might, he simply could not get his arm free. It was pinned tightly to the side of the dragon. "No, no, no! Come ooon..!"

The impact on the solid wood stole his breath away for just a second, but it was enough for the trappers to swarm him. Hands grabbed at him from all sides as he tried to get free. A sea of sneering hostile faces surrounded him and he could feel his heart hammer against his ribcage. 'This is bad. This is really, really bad!' Hiccup thought.

The Nightmare roared angrily at the men and tossed and turnd, knocking away the trappers and jarring his small passenger. The dragon didn't set itself on fire, thankfully, for it knew Hiccup wasn't fireproof. Fire licked at the men as the reptile tried to dose them with a mighty gust of fire until two trappers threw themselves over its head, forcing the jaw shut.

"Get the thief away from that dragon and throw 'im in a cage." The one Hiccup assumed was the captain of the ship ordered, not taking his eyes from the dragons still circling the sky above the ship. He was a nasty looking fellow. The hair was dirty and his teeth were yellow. His armor consisted mosty of dragon skin and many spikes covering his shoulder pads and armguards. "'e may be of some use to Drago." The men moved in to do as they were told but the teen hissed dangerously at them. Some of them wavered for a second, uncertain about their captive, but they continued nevertheless.

"Look at him, he's acting more like dragon than a human. Probably can't even speak. Filthy traitor." One of them snapped as two others grabbed the teen's arms and held him tightly as the others worked to loose the ropes just enough to get him away without freeing the dragon with him. Hiccup waited and held still until he felt the tiniest give from his bonds.

Then he lashed out.

He kicked the nearest trappers in the shin, making him howl in pain and release his captive, giving him the chance to quickly wriggle out of his bonds. The teen rolled away and unsheathed his sword and slipping into a defensive position just as the dragon, now not having to worry about the small human, set itself aflame. The men hurriedly retreated from the raging dragon. The ropes turned to nothing but ashes in the scorching flames.

"Why yer little shit" the leader growled. "Get 'im!" And the trappers closed in on him again, this time with their weapons at the ready. Hiccup swore under his breath as he dodged the first few swipes parried another one aimed at his side. Luckily, with the Nightmare rampaging on the ship, the trappers had to divide their attention between human and dragon in an attempt to not get burned to a crisp. Hiccup used this opportunity to get close to the catapults. If he wanted to get away with every last one of the captured dragons, he had to disable them first. The Dragons that were already shot down were helped out of the nets by their flockmates as the crew was distracted or managed to free themselves.

Unfortunately, the captain didn't fancy the idea of facing his employer empty handed and focused his attention on the skinny form trying to sneak away from the battle. He was about to follow when the Scuttleclaw came screeching from above. It landed just in front of him and released its flames on the captain. The man howled in pain as the fire licked at the epxposed skin of his arms and face, leaving reddened and blistering skin in its wake.

Hiccup seized his chance and quickly slashed through the ropes that held the mechanisms of the catapults and bola launchers together, causing them to backfire and damage the wooden ship when he gave them a carefully placed kick. Hiccup ran back to the Scuttleclaw and mounted the dragon. "Let's go!" The dragon released another bout of flames on the remaining trappers to help the Nightmare, before taking off and into the sky once again, closely followed by the Nightmare. The teen looked down at what once was a functional Trapper ship. Now the men would be lucky if the remains would hold together long enough for them to reach the closest port. By now, they'd given up trying to catch the escaped dragons and hurried to dose the fire and tend to the wounded.

And for a second, his eyes locked with those of the captain. A shiver crawled down Hiccup's spine. The look he was given promised pain. His dragon crooned, asking him if was alright. He crooned back and gave a calming stroke to the dry and warm scales to reassure her.

But even as he guided the freed dragons to their freedom once again, he felt the man's gaze boring into his back.

He had a feeling that this wasn't the last he'd seen of the captain.

0-0-0

Hiccup had taken a few extra-long routes just in case the trappers did decide to follow him, which was highly unlikely but he didn't want to take any risks. As such, when he and the his small flock of dragons finally arrived at home, it was already dark. The sentinels greeted him and the newcomers and flockmates and let them pass easily.

He dismounted as soon as the Scuttleclaw touched the ground. "Thanks for today, girl." He told her, scratching her jaw and briefly touching his forehead to her snout in a silent gesture of gratitude. The dragon squawked happily and departed to collect her own hatchlings. Most of the freed dragons were immediately tended to by their flockmates, the less injured ones were so tired that they settled down right where they were. Hiccup let out a small sigh. The whole mission could have gone better. He almost let himself caught put his flockmates at risk with his recklessness. He knew he'd get an earful from his mother later on as she would surely hear about this sooner or later. Right now, though, he was more concerned with cuddling into his furs and getting a good night's rest. So, with a tired sigh, he made his way to the cave he and his mother lived in.

"What were you thinking?!" was the greeting he got when he set foot into his home. Valka, apparently, wasn't asleep and already heard about everything. Hiccup flinched slightly at the loud tone and turned to look at the source. She stood near the makeshift fire place. A scowl was etched on her face and her hands rested on her hips. The slight glow of the fire behind the woman gave her and intimidating shine. "Hello to you too, mom."

He just wanted to crawl into his bed right now.

Valka's brows furrowed further and she glared at him even more at the slightly casual answer. "You were almost caught, Hiccup!" she continued. "Did I not tell you to be careful? They could've killed you or dragged you before Drago himself! And gods know what that madman would have done to you!"

The worry and fear in her voice made Hiccup suddenly feel guilty. The boy let out a resigned sigh and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry mother," he told her sincerely. "I should have been more careful when facing those trappers today."

The honesty in that statement calmed the enraged woman down somewhat and her scowl lessened just a tick. Valka could see how much Hiccup looked half dead on his feet. The numerous scratches on his person along with the dirty armor made just pointed out the obvious more. "There just isn't an uneventful day with you, is there?"

Hiccup had the decency to look sheepish. Even Cloudjumper snorted from his corner. "I'm not that bad…"

"Oh, hush you. Now sit down and let me look you over."

"I'm fine, mom" he whined and rolled his eyes but complied nonetheless, knowing by now that there was no way around her mothering. Hiccup watched her from the corner of his eyes as she rummaged around until she pulled out her medical herbs and ointments. When his mother came back over to him, Hiccup dutifully removed his armor and tunic and let her poke and prod him. She looked over her son, noticing the small cut where an arrow must have graced him and immediately checked for any sign of poison. His armor did a pretty good job at protecting him, but a few bruises had already formed and stood out on his pale skin with colors varying from yellow to green to blue and some others. Finding nothing wrong, his mother washed out the wound and bandaged it. He jerked a little as Valka found a rather sore spot and applied the ointment harsher than needed to.

She didn't look particularly apologetic and Hiccup didn't blame her.

"Now off to bed with you." She said after finishing the job and giving him one last hard look. Hiccup just let out a small sigh. Judging from her cold tone, he'd hear more tomorrow. But right now, he just couldn't find it in himself to care. He just wanted to crawl into his bed and never wake up again.

0-0-0

The following morning wasn't looking too bright for Hiccup. At the literal crack of dawn, his mother found it necessary to drag him out of bed to hone his fighting skills. Apparently, now that he had some time to rest, Valka thought that he still needed some sort of punishment for scaring her half to death. That was how the teen found himself in a sparring match against various dragons.

The intention was, his mother explained, to learn each dragon's movements, copy and use them in his own fighting style. As his body still lacked the brawn that many Viking men possessed, he preferred sparring with dragons whose bodies were more built for speed and agility. A fighting style that was better for his lean built. Outsmarting and outracing his opponent were much better options for him than going head to head with a much stronger enemy. He'd seen the hunters and trappers. Most of them had the typical Viking qualities, essential qualities needed for their professions.

"You're still thinking too much like a human, Hiccup" his mother called from where she was watching his progress. "Trust your instinct. Try putting yourself into a dragon's body. Feel its movements, how its muscles tense when preparing for an attack. See through its eyes and never take them off your prey."

Hiccup grit his teeth in slight annoyance. She was talking like it was so easy to simply forget all of what he had been taught in thirteen years. All the times his father took him out to show him how to handle an axe right, before letting Gobber take over his training and trying with a sword instead. Very few knew that Hiccup could actually hold his own pretty good with a sword. Though, as he was still quite clumsy, his attempts to show his skills often ended in disaster. For Thor's sake, he only started living with dragons a year ago!

He was currently facing off against a Deadly Nadder who, by the looks of it, greatly enjoyed pushing him around. He took a calming breath and pushed himself up from where he had been tossed just a second ago, ignoring the pain shooting through his body.

"Learn your enemy's body language, foresee their next move and act accordingly."

Hiccup watched the Nadder closely as the pair warily circled each other. The dragon's tail twitched every now and then, similar to an agitated cat's. Golden slitted eyes met emerald green ones. It charged at the teen, aiming for his head and Hiccup moved to evade it-

only for the Nadder to swiftly turn and swipe his feet from under him. Before his back even hit the ground, a wing caught him across the chest, sending him flying. Hiccup groaned as his body hit the unforgiving stones of the Sanctuary's inner wall.

He didn't bother to get up this time. Every part of his ached from having to endure this kind of training since dawn and he simply didn't care anymore. He felt like he'd been trample by a horde of Thunerclaws and just wanted to curl up in the next best whole for the rest of the day. Soft steps were moving towards him, but Hiccup remained were he was. A shadow fell over him, accompanied by a quiet sigh.

"That's enough for today." Valka told him, making him moan in relief. "Thank you for your help, Firefly." The Nadder squawked mischievously and briefly glance at Hiccup, a silent promise that this was far from over, and he glared right back at the annoying thing, before it jumped into the air to mingle with the other dragons of the nest.

"Contrary to what you might believe, this was not half bad." Hiccup looked up to meet his mother's sympathetic gaze with a deadpan look.

"Sure, because getting my butt kicked to Valhalla and back isn't bad at all."

"Come now, Hiccup. You have only started to learn. No master has ever fallen from the sky. Every master has had to learn to earn the right to call themselves one." She offered her son a hand, which he hesitantly took, and pulled him off the ground. "I, too, had to learn. And I wasn't better than you. In fact, I didn't get it right for a very long time."

Hiccup dusted himself off. He still felt like dragon dung and his frustration at seemingly not getting better at all ate away at him. "I haven't even managed to get one hit at Firefly. For over a month now. I feel like I'm getting nowhere with this…"

All of this seemingly fruitless training brought back some shadows of his past. The other kids sneering at his uselessness, his father's disappointed scowl, the whispering from the village…

Valka watched as he glared at the ground with darkened eyes. Seeing him like this reminded her of the first few years after she was brought here. Back when she spent many sleepless nights and when she wore herself down so much Cloudjumper had to carry her unconscious form back to their home more than once. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, knowing exactly how he felt right now, and led him back to their shared cave.

It often surprised her how similar the two of them were, even though she wasn't around for him to take on her behavior.

They barely reached their home when she noticed a slight change in the atmosphere.

It was midday and the dragons were preparing to fly out to get their lunch. The first ones were already taking off and it only served to spur others into action, turning the somewhat peaceful atmosphere in the Sanctuary into a chaotic mix of screeching dragons and flapping wings.

Hiccup looked up longingly, wishing he could fly with one of them, but the dragons were all very territorial when it came to their food and none of them fancied carrying a human on their back slowing them down when catching the fish.

"You'll find your bonded dragon, Hiccup." His mother said from Cloudjumpers back, having climbed up when she realized what time it was, when she noticed his crestfallen face. She was equipped with a basket. "It is out there somewhere."

With that, Coudjumper took to the air to join his flockmates and alpha, leaving the teen standing near the cave entrance in the now very deserted nest. Only the hatchlings and some of the older dragons remained.

Hiccup remained where he was standing for only a few seconds longer. Then he winced when the pain from his bruised body hit him anew. He went inside as careful as he could as to not agitate his bruises more than they already were and began to apply one of his mother's healing ointments on the discolored skin. He grimaced at the yellow-blue splatters across his skin and just knew he was going to feel them in the morning.

He swiftly bandaged the uglier ones and changed the bandages of his older wounds and put the ointment away to wander around for a bit and to clear his head. The dragons would probably take their time to return so he almost had the whole place for himself. Maybe he should go out and visit the town again. He hadn't seen Gunnar in a while and the need to talk with another human that wasn't his mother grew the longer he was coped up inside the nest.

He needed to tell Valka first, of course. She didn't like the idea of him going anywhere alone, especially since the trappers seemed to have more of their men stationed at every nearby port lately.

He'd have to be careful. Not that anyone would recognize him.

As Hiccup thought about how he was going to convince his mother, his feet led him through the many tunnels and to the outer ice-walls of the Sanctuary. Small rays of light tickled through a nearby entrance and a small gust of wind blew into his face. Hiccup breathed in the salty air and followed the wind. Leaving the inner parts of the nest often felt like entering a whole new world. The walls sheltered the flock, protecting them from the often harsh truths of reality.

It almost seemed like their little paradise was built up on lies.

Standing here, at the edge of the icy tundra of the nest, watching the glittering of the ocean in the sunlight – it was both, amazing and frightening. Because Hiccup knew that just beyond that picture of tranquility and peace waited many dangers.

He sat down on the edge of the ice as he took in the atmosphere before him. The cool felt soothing on his battered body. If he looked closely, he could make out the faint silhouettes of his flock feeding. A small pang of loneliness hit him. Even though he was feeling more accepted than ever before, he still felt like he was being left out. His mother always told him that he'd find his bonded dragon eventually, that he simply needed to be patient.

A shove from behind nearly sent tumbling over the edge and he gave a small yelp as he flailed his arms wildly for a second to regain his balance. The teen turned around to see a bunch of hatchlings filling out of the entrance, undoubtedly having followed him. The one who had pushed him still stood right behind him and chattered excitedly. Hiccup groaned, exasperated.

"Noooo, come on! You know you aren't supposed to be outside!" he whined and chased after them in an attempt to round them up and get them back inside before his mother and the flock came back. As he was the one who showed them the way out, however unintentional it was, he'd be the one to blame if something happened. But babies were babies no matter where you went and immediately took Hiccup's antics as a game of tag. Which excited them even more and soon enough they were all over the place, running, sqwaking and flapping.

"Gotcha!" Hiccup cried triumphantly when he managed to grab one of them by their tail. However, he was still a scrawny fishbone and was easily dragged along and eventually had to let go when the unforgiving ground with its sharp little stones and bits of ice became too much for him. "Why do the gods hate me…?"

This was a question he seemed to be asking himself too much...

The hatchlings had by now noticed their playmate not getting up and curiously inched closer to the heap on the ground. Hiccup seized his chance and waited until one of them was close enough. Almost touching him.

Then he pounced with a shout of triumph and grabbed it.

The smallish dragon gave a yelp as it was dragged down and Hiccup had to laugh at the shocked expression it wore. Unfortunately, the others saw this as an invitation and all at once dogpiled the pair. And the teen simply couldn't hold it back anymore and laughed heartily as he was trapped under a tangled heap of warm and squirming draconic limbs. He didn't try to get out, his earlier attempts at getting everyone back inside forgotten.

And when the flock finally returned, all Hiccup could do was smile up sheepishly at the bemused face of his mother.


End file.
